INTRODUCTOllY  LECTURE 


TO 

A COURSE  OF  LECTURES 

UPON 

COMPARATIVE  AXAT031Y, 

AND 

THE  DISEASES  OF  DO^ilESTIC  ANIMALS, 

DELIVERED  J^'OVEMBER  3,  1813 


BY  JA3IES  MEASE,  M.  D. 

SrXRETART  TO  THE  PHILADELPHIA  SOCIETY  FOR  PROMOTING  AGRICULTURE,  MEM- 
BER OF  THE  AMERICAN  PHILOSOPHICAL  SOCIETY,  AND  HONORARY  3IEMBER  OF 
THE  BATH  AND  WEST  OF  ENGLAND  SOCIETY. 


i 

PHILADELPHIA : 

PRINTED  BY  LYDIA  R.  BAILEY,  No.  10,  NORTH  ALLEY. 


181i. 


AKeaS€- 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


1 


/ 


https://archive.org/details/introductorylect01nneas 


TO 


«■ 


ROBERTS  VAUX,  AND  REUBEN  HAINES, 

AND  THE 


GENTLEMEN 

WHO  ATTENDED  HIS  FIRST  COURSE  OF  LECTURES, 


COMP.IEATIVE  Jl^ATOMr, 

AND 

THE  mSE^SES  OF  DOMESTIC  JimMJlLS, 

THIS  INTRODUCTORY  LECTURE 

IS  DEDICATED, 

BY  THE  AUTHOR 


PMlad.  Jliigust  10, 1814, 


At  a stated  meeting  of  tlie  Philadelphia  Society  for  pro- 
moting Agriculture,  July  12tli,  1814,  the  following  resolu- 
tion was  on  motion  unanimously  passed.  , 

The  society  having  been  long  impressed  with  the  import- 
ance of  veterinary  knowledge,  and  having  offered  a premi- 
xim  for  the  best  essay  thereon,  are  Avitli  great  satisfaction 
informed  of  the  merit  of  a course  of  lectures,  delivered  last 
winter,  by  Dr.  Mease,  on  “ comparative  anatomy  and  the 
diseases  of  domestic  animals;”  whereupon  resolved. 

That  Dr.  Mease  he  requested  by  the  president  to  permit  the 
introductory  lecture,  on  the  subject  mentioned,  to  he  print- 
ed in  the  third  volume  of  the  Memoirs  of  the  Society. 


Belmont,  July  14, 1814. 

Sir, 

Permit  me  to  request  a compliance  with  the  xvishes  of  the 
Society,  expressed  in  the  enclosed  resolution,  hy  your  publish- 
ing your  lecture,  and  thereby  contributing  to  one  of  the  great 
objects  our  society  have  long  had  in  view  ; — the  encouraging 
every  endeavour  to  promulgate  and  promote  vetmnary  hnoiv- 
ledge. 

I am,  very  truly,  yours, 

Richard  Peters. 


Dr.  James  Mease. 


INTRODUCTOIiY  LECTURE 

TO 

A COURSE  OF  LECTURES 

UPON 

COIMPARATIVE  ANA  rOMY, 


AND 

THE  DISEASES  OF  DOMESTIC  ANIMxULS. 

BY  JAMES  MEASE,  M.  D. 
nELIVERED  J\i'OVEMBER  o,  1813. 


/ 


Gentlemen, 

A conviction  of  the  great  necessity  at  present  of  a course 
of  lectures  upon  Comparative  Anatomy,  and  the  Diseases 
of  Domestic  Animals,  has  induced  me  to  undertake  to  de- 
liver them.  I had  indeed  contemplated  a course  on  the  last 
subject,  several  years  since,  but  was  prevented  from  com- 
mencing it,  by  circumstances  that  no  longer  exist.  The  dif- 
fusion of  knowledge  upon  the  subject  of  my  intended  course, 
although  at  all  times  desirable,  from  mere  motives  of  huma- 
nity, as  connected  with  the  means  of  increasing  the  comfort 
of  a class  of  animals  over  which  Providence  has  made  us 
masters,  who  labour  for  us,  feed,  and  clothe  us ; is  particu- 
larly important,  if  we  reflect  upon  the  value  of  some  of  those 
animals  at  the  present  time,  when  a laudable  spirit  of  im- 
provement induces  agricultural  gentlemen  to  stock  their 
farms  at  a considerable  expense,  with  foreign  breeds,  or  to 
take  great  pains  in  originating  new  stock  at  home,  for  the 
purpose  of  increasing  the  quantity  and  quality  of  flesh,  milk, 
or  fleece ; and  when  the  employment  of  a large  body  of  ea- 


VOL.  III. 


c 


On  Comparalhe  Jlnatomy,  and  the 


valrj  is  rendered  necessary,  by  tlie  war  in  winch  the  United 
States  are  en.qaged. — But  independently  of  this  latter  consi- 
deration, which  is  of  a public  nature,  and  certainly  of  suffi- 
cient consequence  to  claim  the  notice  of  government ; if  the 
noble  animal,  the  horse,  considered  in  a domestic  view,  were 
alone  the  object  of  our  attention,  the  importance  and  high 
value  set  upon  him,  when  his  powers  for  either  speed  or 
drauglit,  or  the  beauty  of  his  form  have  been  greatly  im- 
proved, would  he  an  inducement  sufficiently  great  to  autho- 
rise a course  of  instruction  upon  his  structure,  diseases,  and 
the  means  of  preserving  his  health. 

As  it  is  very  probable  that  a part  of  my  hearers  are  en- 
tirely irnacquainted  Avith  the  subject  upon  Avhich  I am  to  lec- 
ture, and  even  with  the  meaning  of  the  Avords  “ Comparative 
•Inatomy,’’  it  is  due  to  the  importance  of  this  branch  of 
knoAvledgc  to  explain  them,  to  shoAv  what  attention  the  stu- 
dy has  excited  in  the  old  Avorld,  to  enumerate  the  names  of 
the  distinguished  characters  Avho  have  cultivated  it,  and  to 
lay  before  you  the  very  great  benefits  derived  from  it,  in 
elucidating  the  structure  and  functions  of  the  human  body, 
and  explaining  the  doctrines  of  its  physiology  : in  aiding  the 
Painter,  Sculptor,  and  Engraver,  and  lastly,  to  point  out  its 
intimate  connexion  Avith  Veterinary  Medicine. 

By  the  term  “ Comparative  Anatomy”  is  understood,  the 
investisation  of  the  structure  of  brute  animats : and  its  ob- 
jects  are  to  demonstrate  the  diversity  that  exists  among  si- 
milar organs,  and  analogous  parts,  and  to  compare  them  with 
one  another,  and  Avith  man. 

It  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  this  study  must  have  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  mankind  in  very  early  times.  The 
slaughter  of  animals  for  food,  the  preparation  of  the  offer- 
ings on  the  altar  by  the  priest,  and  the  custom  of  deducing 
auguries  from  the  state  of  the  entrails,  would  naturally  lead 
to  some  knoAvledgc  of  the  structure  and  appearances  of  the 
parts : Ave  knoAV  likcAvise,  from  the  book  of  Exodus,  that 
names  Avere  even  attached  to  them,  and  the  parts  deelar- 


Diseases  of  Domestic  tlnhnals. 


S 


ed  to  be  clean,  and  unclean,  are  particularly  designated. 
But  Greece  first  distinguished  itself  among  nations,  in  the 
study  of  anatomy,  as  a science,  as  it  did  in  the  study  and 
practice  of  the  fine  arts ; and  Horner,^  by  the  familiar  use 
of  several  anatomical  terms,  and  the  mention  of  certain  parts 
of  the  body,  and  their  connexion  with  each  other,  shows  that 
some  knowledge  of  the  structure  of  the  human  frame  was 
then  extant.  Pythagoras,  after  an  extensive  tour  to  India 
and  Egypt,  brought  to  his  native  country,  the  knowledge  on 
all  subjects  to  be  ac(|uired  at  that  time,  and  of  anatomy 
among  others,  and  disseminated  it  among  his  countrymen, 
with  great  ai’dour.  His  pupils,  Alcmeon  and  Empedocles, 
but  more  especially  Democritus  of  Abdera,  extended  the 
fame  of  their  master,  and  raised  themselves  to  deserved  emi- 
nence among  the  philosophers  of  that  day.  Upon  the  suppo- 
sition that  all  the  disorders  of  the  human  body  proceeded 
from  bile,  he  endeavoured  to  discover  its  origin  and  course, 
and  by  the  ardour  of  his  pursuits,  and  consequent  frequent 
seclusion  from  the  public,  laboured  under  the  imputation  of 
insanity,  until  the  sage  Hippocrates,  who  was  sent  to  visit 
him,  discovered  his  retreat,  and  while  he  undeceived  his  fel- 
low citizens,  with  respect  to  his  mental  derangement,  did 
ample  justice  to  his  industry  and  merits. 

Aris-totle,  however,  was  the  first  scientific  anatomist : he 
enjoyed  particular  advantages  under  the  patronage  of  his 
pupil,  Alexander  the  Great,  who  granted  him  a very  large 
sum  of  money,  to  purchase  animals  for  dissection,  and  to  de- 
fray the  expenses  attending  his  studies.  He  did  honour  to 
the  munificence  of  his  royal  patron,  by  his  attention  to,  and 
improvement  of  the  subject ; his  regular  anatomical  works 
have  been  lost,  but  he  has  given  much  comparative  anatomy 
in  the  first  part  of  his  treatise  on  animals,  and  he  has  form- 
ed an  anatomical  nomenclature,  which  is  in  part  still  receiv- 
ed. Without  dwelling  on  the  labours  of  Diodes  of  Caiy  stus, 
and  of  Praxagoras  of  Cos,  I shall  pass  on  to  inention  the 


i 


On  Compamlive  Jhiatomy,  find  the, 


successors  of  Aristotle,  viz.  Erasistratus  his  grandson,  and 
Ilerophilus,  avIio  having  been  protected  and  employed  by  the 
Ptolemies,  sustained  the  character  of  the  school  of  Alexan- 
dria so  Avell,  that,  during  their  lives,  and  for  a long  time 
after,  it  continued  tlie  chief  place  of  resort  for  students, 
from  all  nations. 

About  the  year  160  of  the  Christian  account,  Galen,  a 
name  familiar  to  the  whole  world,  settled  at  Home,  and  con- 
tributed  very  largely  to  the  advaneemcat  of  medical  science 
generally,  and  particularly  of  anatomy,  by  his  talents,  in- 
dustry in  experiments  and  dissections,  and  by  collecting  to- 
gether all  that  had  been  previously  Avritten  on  the  subject  by 
the  Greek  teachers.*  After  his  days  Ave  have  no  account  of 
any  addition  having  been  made  to  the  previous  knoAvledge, 
in  either  human  or  comparative  anatomy,  for  a very  long 
time.  To  this  suspension  of  the  labours  of  science,  the  de- 
cay and  division  of  the  Roman  empire,  in  the  close  of  the 
second  century,  greatly  contributed  j hut  the  finishing  stroke 
to  all  liberal  studies  or  mental  improvement,  in  the  Avestern 
parts  of  Europe,  Avas  given  by  the  irruption  of  the  Barbarian 
tribes  of  Germany  and  Scythia,  first  into  Rome,  in  410,  un- 
der Alarie,  and  finally  over  the  Avhole  of  Italy,  Gaul,  and 
Spain,  at  different  times  afterAvards,  until  the  year  476,  Avhen 
the  Roman  empire  Avas  finally  extinguished  in  the  West. 

A long  interval  of  midnight  darkness  in  science  of  every 
kind,  succeeded  in  the  Avestern  parts  of  Europe.  The  Sara- 
cens Avere  at  length,  in  their  turn,  destined  to  be  the  rulers  of 
the  former  seat  of  learning  and  of  the  liberal  arts  in  the  East, 
and  for  a long  time  they  did  little  except  destroy.  The  burn- 
ing of  the  library  of  Alexandria  Avill  forever  remain  a splen- 
did monument  of  their  fanatic  barbarity.*  Their  successors 
Avere  fortunately  better  disposed,  and  encouraged  the  arts,** 
and  after  the  subversion  of  the  A^isigoths  in  Spain,  Arabian 
learning  Avas  introduced  by  them  into  that  country,  (anno 
710,)  Avhere  it  maintained  its  ground^  and  spread  through 


Diseases  of  Domestic  d^nimals. 


5 


western  Europe,  until  the  ajra  Avlien  the  genuine  spirit  for 
improvement  and  for  scienee  began  to  appear  in  the  world. 
A worse  enemy  to  scienee  than  even  the  Saracens  originally 
had  been,  succeeded  in  the  Turks,  who  from  their  first  de- 
scent on  the  great  theatre  of  the  M orld,  from  the  mountain- 
ous regions  of  Taurus  and  Imaus,  to  the  present  day,  have 
uniformly  evinced  a settled  hostility  to  improvement  and  in- 
novation of  any  kind.  In  1055  they  pillaged  Bagdad,  and 
the  ruin  of  that  seat  of  splendor  and  of  learning,  was  com- 
pleted by  the  Moguls  in  1258.  In  the  progress  of  their  victo- 
ries, but  not  until  after  a long  siege,  the  Turks  became  mas- 
ters of  Constantinople,  (the  last  remnant  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire,) in  the  year  1453,  and  thus  became  the  unwilling  instru- 
ments of  the  diffusion  of  learning  and  the  arts  throughout  Eu- 
rope : for  the  philosophers  who  had  made  that  city  their 
place  of  residence,  after  having  been  driven  from  Rome,  fled 
to  the  Italian  states  for  protection,  bringing  w ith  them  their 
own  works,  and  those  of  the  Greek  authors  in  their  original 
dress,  and  fortunately  found  the  people  eager  to  receive  the 
information  they  had  to  communicate ; and,  what  was  of 
most  consequence,  the  different  rulers  of  the  country  w ere 
disposed  to  afford  them  all  the  protection  and  support  they 
desired.  This  spirit  for  the  liberal  arts  had  been  revived, 
in  part,  in  consequence  of  the  acquaintance  which  the  cru- 
saders had  made  wdth  Arabian  learning,  during  their  chi- 
valrous expeditions  to  the  holy  land ; and  the  means  of  gra- 
tifying it  had  been  already  obtained,  by  the  discovery  of  the 
mode  of  making  paper,  in  the  eleventh  century,  and  had  been 
powerfully  promoted  by  that  of  the  precious  art  of  printing, 
in  the  year  1445,  which  facilitated  the  multiplication  of  co- 
pies of  books. 

Europe  thus  enriched  and  roused  made  some  progress  in 
medical  literature,  and  in  anatomy,  but  it  w as  slow ; the 
popular  prejudices,  nay  the  abhorrence  against  touching  dead 
bodies,  and  much  more  against  their  patient  examination, 
long  continued  in  almost  all  countries  except  Italy,  and  the 


6 


On  Comparative  Anatomy ^ and  the 


consequence  was,  that  Italy  was  the  country  in  which  human 
and  comparative  anatomy  was  for  a long  time  chiefly  taught. 

Upon  the  general  diffusion  of  the  spirit  of  inquiry  in  Eu- 
rope, Avhich  continued  to  take  place,  the  study  of  human  and 
comparative  anatomy  kept  equal  pace  for  nearly  all  those 
eminent  men  who  attended  to  one  branch,  were  zealous  in 
the  prosecution  of  the  other.  But  the  sixteenth  century 
may  be  considered  as  the  sera  whence  we  must  date  the  re- 
vival of  anatomical  knowledge  in  general ; during  which, 
we  find  among  others  that  might  he  mentioned,  the  names 
ofVcsalius,  Fallopius,  Eustachius,  and  Fahrieius,®  promi- 
nent as  teachers.  The  science  was  prosecuted  with  ad- 
ditional spirit  in  the  succeeding  century,  after  the  doctrine 
of  the  circulation  of  the  blood  had  been  taught  by  Harvey 
in  London ; and  more  especially  after  his  publication  of  the 
great  discovery  in  1628,  when  a new  field  w'as  opened,  from 
which  both  branches  of  our  subject  derived  important  bene- 
fits, by  the  new  stimulus  to  experiment  which  it  excited,  and 
by  enabling  medical  men  to  illustrate  many  points,  before 
inexplicable,  relative  to  the  animal  economy.  In  the  course 
of  the  17th,  and  the  early  part  of  the  18th  century,  the 
world  was  favoured  with  the  labours  of  Grew,®  Willis,^  Ty- 
son,® Collins,®  Lower,“  Keill,  and  others  in  England  ; Pey- 
eiV^  in  Switzerland  ,•  He  Graaf,i^  Leew^enhoek,’®  Blazius,!"* 
Swammerdam,'®  Ruyscli,'®  Steno,  and  others  in  Germany 
and  the  Netherlands ; Eudbeck'^  in  Sweden ; and  Bartho- 
iine'®  in  Denmark ; Bellini,  Valisneri,  Malphigi,'®  and  Redi, 
in  Italy ; Casscrius,^®  Perrault,  G.  J.  Duvcrney,^'  and  others, 
in  France,  The  collection  of  facts  made  by  the  foregoing 
anatomists  w^as  great,  no  complete  system  however  was 
farmed,  until  about  the  middle  and  latter  end  of  the  last 
century,  when  the  observations  of  preceding  authors  were 
arranged,  and  the  science  was  prosecuted  Avith  ncAv  ardour. 
We  were  then  favoured  with  the  discoveries  of  D’Auhen- 
ton,22  the  friend  and  coadjutor  of  the  Count  de  Buftbn,  in 
his  great  Avork  on  natural  history,  and  Vie  D’Azyiy®  in 


Liseases  of  Domestic  dnimals. 


7 


France 5 Camper^^  and  Sandifort,  in  Holland;  Pallas,  in 
Russia;  the  illustrious  Haller,  professor  at  Gottingen  ; Scar- 
pa and  Camparetti,  in  Italy.  In  England,  we  are  indebted 
to  William  and  John  Hunter,  Hewson,  Home,  M’Cartney, 
A.  Cooper,  Townson,  Haigbton,  Cruiksliank,  and  others, 
and  in  Scotland,  to  the  two  Miinros  (1st  and  2nd,)  for  the 
elucidation  of  the  organs  of  various  animals,  and  for  very 
considerable  additions  to  our  stock  of  knowledge  on  the  sub- 
ject. Lastly,  Cuvier,^®  of  Paris,  and  Blumenbachj^e  of  Got- 
tingen, may  justly  be  considered  as  the  most  eminent  contri- 
butors to  comparative  anatomy,  in  modern  times. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  detail  the  particular  animals  and 
subjects,  to  the  investigation  and  dissection  of  Avhich,  these 
illustrious  men  devoted  their  attention  ; it  may  be  therefore 
only  necessary  to  say,  that  scarcely  any  part  of  the  animal 
creation,  from  the  colossal  elephant  to  the  crawling  cater- 
pillar, escaped  their  attention;  and  that  from  all  of  their  la- 
bours, instruction  of  the  most  useful  kind,  and  from  some  of 
them,  of  the  most  pleasing  nature,  has  been  derived. 

I shall  now  proceed  to  enumerate  the  advantages  that  have 
resulted  to  mankind  from  the  prosecution  of  comparative 
anatomy. 

Every  well  read  medical  man,  Avho,  not  content  with  knoAV- 
ing  merely  the  present  state  of  the  science  of  medicine  and 
the  art  of  surgery,  has  investigated  the  progress  of  their 
improvement,  must  be  acquainted  Avith  the  essential  services 
Avhieh  have  been  rendered  to  both  professions  by  comparative 
anatomy ; yet  as  some  of  my  hearers  are  not  expected  to  be 
informed  on  this  subject,  it  is  due  to  the  study,  and  may  not 
prove  uninteresting  to  them,  to  give  a short  account  of  the 
benefits  Avhich  have  resulted  from  it. 

1.  The  study  of  comparative  anatomy  opens  to  the  mind 
a source  of  the  highest  satisfaction  and  interest,  and  tends 
most  poAverfully  to  give  exalted  ideas  of  the  Avisdom  of  the 
Author  of  all  existence.  In  the  Avords  of  the  eloquent  Her- 
der, it  « gives  man  a clew  to  liimself,  which  conducts  him 


8 


On  Comparaiive  Jlnalomy,  and  the 


through  the  great  labyrinth  of  living  creation ; and  if  we 
can  say  of  any  method,  that  through  it  our  understanding 
ventures  to  scrutinize  the  profound  and  comprehensive  mind 
of  God,  it  must  be  this.”^^  From  a very  slight  knowledge 
of  the  structure  of  the  human  frame,  the  royal  psalmist  was 
enabled  to  exclaim,  “ man  is  fearfully  and  wonderfully 
made,”  and  had  he  been  acquainted  with  the  structure  of 
the  inferior  order  of  animals,  he  would  have  found  in  them 
additional  sources  of  wonder  and  of  praise,  from  contempla- 
ting the  infinite  variety  of  modes  in  which  the  same  func- 
tions are  performed  in  diflerent  animals,  and  in  tracing  the 
contrivances  and  structure  of  the  organs  and  general  me- 
chanism of  their  frames,  which  are  so  nicely  adapted  to  their 
diflerent  economies  and  necessities,  whether  their  residence 
he  in  air,  in  water,  or  on  land. 

2.  In  the  early  stages  of  society,  this  study  materially 
promoted  the  knowledge  of  the  structure  of  the  human  body : 
for  owing  to  the  invincible  prejudices  against  human  dis- 
sections, and  the  prevalence  of  the  opinion  that  the  handling 
of  a dead  body  communicated  a degree  of  moral  pollution  to 
the  living,  it  was  extremely  difficult  to  procure  human  bo- 
dies for  the  purpose  of  examination,  and  injurious  to  the  re- 
putation of  medical  men  to  dissect  them  even  if  procured. 
The  ancient  physicians  therefore  were  under  the  necessity 
of  drawing  their  inferences  with  respect  to  the  anatomy  of 
the  human  body,  and  the  uses  of  its  various  organs,  from 
brute  animals ; and  apes,  probably  from  their  external  form 
more  nearly  than  any  other  animal,  resembling  that  of  man, 
were  the  chief  subjects  of  investigation;  and  we  know  from 
the  disagreement  of  Galen's  account  of  the  structure  of  va- 
rious parts  of  the  body,  with  what  has  been  ascertained  by 
anatomists  in  later  times,  and  from  recent  dissections  of  those 
animals,  that  it  was  from  them  his  descriptions  were  chiefly 

taken.28 

3.  Upon  various  questions  of  physiology,  which  from  their 
nature  could  not  be  ascertained  in  the  human  subject,  this 


Diseases  of  Domestk  Anbntils. 


9 


study  has  rendered  the  most  essential  services.  The  deer, 
in  the  park  of  king  Charles  the  first,  with  which  he  gene- 
rously furnished  Dr.  Harvey,  served  to  make  some  progress 
in  the  discovery  of  the  process  of  the  evolution  of  the  foetus^ 
a subject  that  has  since  been  greatly  elucidated  byDe  Graaf, 
Spalanzani,  Dm  Haighton,^®  and  Mr.  Cruikshank.^  By 
experiments  on  other  animals.  Dr.  Harvey  also  ascertained, 
beyond  contradiction,  the  circulation  of  the  blood  through 
the  body,  and  its  rotatory  motion  by  the  heart  arteries  and 
veins,  so  as  to  make  many  complete  circuits  round  the  body 
in  twenty  hours.^^ 

4.  It  is  to  comparative  anatomy  we  owe  the  discovery  of 
the  lymphatic  system,  and  the  certainty  of  the  use  it  was  in- 
tende(l  to  perform  in  the  human  body.  The  otfiee  of  this  ad- 
mirable and  curious  system  of  vessels,  is  to  absorb  and  con- 
vey back  to  the  blood,  all  the  decayed  parts  of  the  human 
body,  (even  bone  itself,)  and  all  those  thin,  pellucid  fluids, 
that  wander  from  the  course  of  the  circulation,  that  they 
may  undergo  new  preparations,  or  be  thrown  entirely  out  of 
tjie  body : and  in  the  intestines,  they  perform  the  important 
office  of  conveying  the  nutritious  and  watery  part  of  the 
food  into  the  system.  Hence  they  arise  from  every  organ 
of  the  body.  An  opinion  may  be  formed  of  the  active  pow- 
er possessed  by  those  apparently  tender,  and  minute  vessels, 
from  considering  the  rapidity  with  which  they  transmit  their 
contents : this  has  been  satisfactorily  "“ascertained  by  Mr. 
Cruikshank,  to  be  at  the  rate  of  twenty  feet  in  length,  in  one 
minute.  His  experiments  were  made  upon  dogs,  and  the 
well  known  facts  of  a peculiar  smell  in  the  urine,  being 
perceived  in  less  than  one  hour  after  eating  asparagus  and 
certain  species  of  cabbage  ; and  the  increase  of  urine  in  the 
same  space  of  time,  after  drinking  certain  mineral  waters, 
lead  us  to  suppose  that  the  activity  of  the  laeteals  in  man, 
is  equally  great.^^ 

5.  It  is  to  this  study  we  owe  the  discoveries  of  the  cele- 
brated Italian  professor  Spalanzani,  Dr.  Stevens,  John  Hun- 

von.  III.  d 


10 


On  Comparative  Analomij,  and  the 


ter,  and  others,  on  the  digestion  of  food  in  the  hnman  sto- 
niaeh,  and  in  many  other  animals,  about  Avhieh  process  vari- 
ous erroneous  theories  had  been  previously  entertained.  The 
consideration  of  this  process,  as  conducted  in  animals,  with 
an  examination  of  the  admirable  organs  for  the  purpose,  will 
form  a very  interesting  part  of  our  course.^^ 

6.  “ Comparative  anatomy  becomes  necessary  in  ascertain- 
ing the  action  of  organs.  All  the  functions  have  ceased  long 
before  the  human  body  can  be  opened,  and  it  is  only  in  the 
inferior  animals  that  we  can  presume  to  make  experiments 
examining  the  movements  of  the  different  organs  before  the 
principle  of  life  has  escaped.”  It  is  chiefly  in  this  field  of  in- 
quiry, that  Ave  have  obtained  the  correct  knoAvledge  Avhich 
Ave  noAV  possess,  of  many  of  the  animal  functions.^^  Nor  can 
the  supposition  be  admitted,  that  this  study  savours  of  cru- 
elty : every  humane  mind  is  shocked  at  the  idea  of  wantonly 
giving  pain  to  any  animal ; but  Avhen  such  pain  is  requisite 
to  illustrate  the  animal  physiology,  the  sacrifice  is  indispen- 
sable and  justifiable.  Without  it,  Ave  might,  in  all  probabi- 
lity, have  been  ignorant  at  this  day  of  the  sublime  discovery 
of  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  and  deprived  of  the  impor- 
tant henefits  resulting  from  it  to  mankind. 

7.  By  comparing  the  internal  organization  of  different 
animals,  Ave  are  enabled  to  distinguish  those  parts  which  are 
common  in  the  structure  of  every  animal  body,  and  essen- 
tially necessary  for  the  performance  of  the  vital  functions  j 
from  such  as  are  peculiar  to  certain  animals,  and  exclusive- 
ly subservient  to  their  necessities,  economy,  or  enjoyment. 
Thus  Avhen  Ave  find  particular  organs  imperfectly  developed 
in  certain  animals,  or  extraeted^^  in  some,  and  naturally  Avant- 
ing  in  a third,  without  any  essential  injury  to  life,  Ave  are 
then  enabled  to  judge  of  the  rank  Avhicli  these  organs  hold 
even  in  the  human  species  : and  by  the  circumstance  of  life 
being  supported,  and  the  functions  of  the  body  going  on, 
after  a cessation  in  the  performance  of  certain  functions, 
Ave  are  not  only  taught  the  propriety  of  attempting  the  sav- 


Diseases  of  Domestic  Animats. 


11 


ing  of  life,  under  cireimistanees  whieli  Avitliout  such  knoAv- 
ledge  Avould  have  been  deemed  impossible  ; but  we  are  indu- 
ced to  admire  the  Avonderful  kindness  of  Providence,  in  fur- 
nishing the  system  Avith  resources,  Avhich  enables  it  to  sur- 
vive after  such  serious  privations,  and  outrages  to  the  ani- 
mal economy.  We  had  long  knoAvn  that  in  tlie  operation 
for  aneurism,  Avhere  a Avounded  artery  is  taken  up,  and  com- 
pletely divided  at  the  elboAV,  or  in  the  thigh,  the  limb  heloAV 
the  part  is  supplied  Avith  blood  by  the  inosculating  branches 
given  off  from  the  larger  artery,  above  the  point  of  obstruc- 
tion j hut  Mr.  Astley  Cooper,  of  London,  has  shoAvn  us, 
that  even  the  carotid,  femoral,  and  brachial  arteries  of  the 
dog,  in  Avhich  the  stoppage  of  circulation  might  naturally  he 
supposed  would  he  folIoAved  by  the  death  of  the  animal,  may 
he  tied  Avith  impunity ; nay,  that  the  aorta  of  the  same  ani- 
mal may  he  tied  and  divided  Avithout  injury  to  the  animal 
and  hence  Ave  are  taught  the  propriety  of  attempting  the 
saving  of  a human  life,  by  ligature,  in  ease  of  a Avound  in 
the  large  arteries  of  the  body,  instead  of  amputating  the 
limb.  To  the  military  surgeon,  Avho  is  called  upon  suddenly  to 
exert  his  skill,  in  eases  of  dreadful  Avounds,  the  inferences  to 
he  draAvn  from  Mr.  Cooper’s  experiments  are  invaluable.®" 

8.  It  Avas  by  the  study  of  comparative  anatomy  that  avc 
have  ascertained  the  cause  why  orans,  apes  and  monkeys 
cannot  speak.  J.  J.  Rousseau,  Avith  the  strangest  inconsist- 
ency, Avhile  he  laboured  to  perfect  his  system,  by  Avhieh  hu- 
man reason  and  the  human  poAvers  Avere  to  attain  the  high- 
est possible  exaltation,  absurdly  Avished  to  degrade  man  by 
assimilating  his  nature  to  that  of  brutes,  and  asserting  that 
those  animals  had  originally  been  endoAved  Avith  the  divine 
faculty  of  speech,  but  had  lost  it  from  disuse.  Although 
the  assertion  or  opinion  Avas  contradicted,  by  the  negative 
fact,  that  no  savage  nation  had  been  discovered  without  an 
artificial  language,  while  herds  of  orans  had  been  found, 
without  any ; yet  no  public  refutation  had  ever  been  made, 
of  the  absurdity  of  the  opinion,  until  after  the  year  1 779,  when 


12 


On  Compavatire  vlnatomy,  and  ilic 


the  excellent  professor  Camper  of  Holland,  by  dissecting 
the  organs  of  voice  in  orans,  apes  and  monkeys,  demonstra- 
ted from  their  situation  and  structure,  that  no  modulation 
of  the  voice,  resembling  human  speech,  can  be  produced  in 
those  creatures,  because  the  air  passing  through  the  inma 
Glottulis,  (or  top  of  the  Avindpipe,)  is  lost  in  two  ventricles, 
or  hollow  bags  in  the  neck,  causing  it  to  sAvell,  and  out  of 
which  the  air  is  forced  back,  without  any  voice  or  melody, 
into  the  throat  and  mouth,  tlu'ough  a slit  or  hole  at  the  root 
of  the  epiglottis.^^ 

9.  It  is  essential  to  the  study  of  natural  history  : for  ana- 
tomical structure  is  the  only  true  basis  of  a natural  classifi- 
cation of  the  animal  kingdom.  It  was  owing  to  his  not  be- 
ing conversant  Avith  comparative  anatomy,  that  the  zoologi- 
cal arrangement  of  the  celebrated  Linnseus  is  so  deficient, 
and  to  an  opposite  reason  may  be  ascribed  the  admirable 
and  comprehensive  classification  of  the  French  naturalists. 

10.  An  attention  to  this  study  has  enabled  us  to  explain 
the  facts  related  by  some  travellers,  the  extraordinary  na- 
ture of  which  had  occasioned  an  unbelief  in  them,  and  the 
imputation  of  a disregard  to  truth. — I allude  to  the  narra- 
tives of  the  surprising  poAver  of  the  camel  to  take  in  at 
one  time  a sufficient  quantity  of  water  to  last  four  or  five 
days,  and  thereby  to  become  capable  of  inhabiting  the  parch- 
ing deserts  of  Arabia ; and  of  the  practice  of  the  people 
of  a caravan,  of  opening  those  animals  when  they  die,  in 
order  to  obtain  the  water  from  their  stomachs. — The  ex- 
amination of  the  stomaeh  of  this  useful  animal,  shoAvs  hoAV 
it  is  enabled  to  retain  the  water,  and  that  it  is  pure  enough 
to  be  drank  Avhen  taken  from  his  body,  by  men  Avhose  thirst 
is  great.^® 

11.  But  Avhile  comparative  anatomy  enables  us  to  do  jus- 
tice to  travellers,  it  also  furnishes  us  with  the  means  of 
putting  to  the  test  the  truth  of  various  stories  of  the  vulgar, 
some  Oi  which  have  been  unaccountably  admitted  by  men 
of  sciettce.'‘“  Such,  among  others  that  might  be  mentioned. 


Biseases  of  Boviestie  Animals. 


lii 


is  that  of  the  siihniersion  of  swallows  in  rivers,  creeks,  or 
ponds,  during  the  winter,  which  has  long  been  implicitly 
believed.-’i 

12.  A knowledge  of  the  principles  of  comparative  anato- 
my are  as  essential  to  the  landscape  painter,  sculptor  and 
engraver,  as  the  knowledge  of  the  human  anatomy  is  to  the 
painter  of  mankind.  An  artist  may  indeed  depict  upon 
canvass  an  animal,  which  without  an  inscription  under  it, 
may  he  known  to  be  of  the  species  intended  to  be  represented ; 
but  unless  he  is  acquainted  with  the  relative  and  natural 
proportions  and  forms,  which  modern  improvements  have 
shown  are  connected  with  not  only  beauty  of  person  but  pro- 
fit, he  will  not  reach  that  perfection  in  his  portraits  or  deli- 
neations, nor  produce  that  effect  by  his  labours,  which  is  at 
all  times  desirable.  ItAvas  this  knoAAdedge  that  has  render- 
ed the  engraved  figures  of  the  horse,  by  Stubbs,  so  much  and 
so  justly  admired,  although  done  so  many  years  since,  (1766, 
London ;)  and  Avhich  contributed  greatly  to  the  reputation  of 
the  painter  Adrian  Vandervelde,42  and  a fcAv  others ; and 
although  a minute  knowledge  of  the  anatomy  of  all  animals 
is  not  expected  from  an  artist,  yet  an  acquaintance  with 
the  structure  and  mechanism,  peculiar  to  each,  is  essen- 
tially necessary  to  enable  him  to  delineate  the  muscles,  and 
their  action  in  various  positions  of  the  body,  and  to  prevent 
the  commission  of  those  gross  absurdities  we  sometimes  see 
in  statues  and  paintings,  such  as  a Avalking  horse  represented 
Avith  two  diametric  opposite  feet  in  an  elevated  position.'*^ 

13.  Comparative  anatomy  is  as  essential  to  the  successful 
practice  of  veterinai'y  medicine,  as  a knoAvledge  of  the  struc- 
ture of  the  human  body  is  to  the  cure  of  the  diseases  and 
accidents  incident  to  mankind.  It  is  OAving  to  a Avant  of 
this  knoAvledge  of  their  structure,  that  our  useful  domestic 
animals  are  so  mismanaged  by  farriers,  and  pretenders  to 
animal  medicine  ; and  that  diseases,  trivial  in  their  nature, 
or  that  slight  surgical  cases  often  end  in  death,  or  lameness, 


On  Cominiralive  Jinatomy,  and  the 


li 


whicli  might  have  been  easily  prevented  by  a scientific  treat- 
ment. 

Tlie  aid  which  comparative  anatomy  is  capable  of  afford- 
ing to  veterinary  medicine,  must  be  evident  to  every  one 
who  reflects  a moment  upon  the  subject. 

“"The  veterinary  art  is  a practical  application  of  scientific 
principles,  to  the  preservation  of  the  health  of  domestic  ani- 
mals, and  to  the  cure  of  their  diseases,  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  art  of  medicine  applies  to  the  health  and  preservation 
of  man : and  the  science  on  which  this  art  is  grounded,  and 
which  it  requires  for  its  perfect  exercise,  comprises  the  na- 
tural history,  anatomy,  physiology,  and  pathology  of  those 
animals,  together  with  such  portions  of  the  vegetable  and 
mineral  kingdoms  as  are  connected  with  them,  either  in  the 
way  of  aliment  or  remedy. 

“ To  practice  this  art  with  certainty,  it  is  necessary  to  make 
a special  and  accurate  investigation  of  the  economy  of  the 
animal  itself,  and  to  observe  minutely  the  different  effects 
that  the  different  subjects  of  the  materia  medica  might  have 
upon  it,  and  to  repeat  tlipse  inquiries  with  the  same  exact- 
ness, for  every  animal  that  is  the  subject  of  the  art ; and 
moreover,  to  superadd  such  knowledge  of  the  human  anato- 
my, as  may  be  of  use  in  the  way  of  comparison.”^^  A plan 
of  study  like  this,  requires  a leisure  and  education,  far  be- 
yond the  capacities  and  circumstances  of  those  to  w hom  the 
care  of  our  animals  has  been  hitherto  abandoned,  and  yet 
such  is  the  importance  of  the  art,  that  a course  of  study  as 
long  and  as  circumstantial  as  that  just  detailed,  is  indispen- 
sable for  those  who  w ould  fully,  fairly,  and  honourably  en- 
gage in  the  exercise  of  it ; nay,  from  the  inability  of  the 
sick  animal  to  describe  his  feelings,  and  to  point  out  the  seat 
of  his  pain,  his  pathology  must  necessarily  he  uncertain,  and 
consequently  we  might  suppose,  that  a greater  degree  of 
judgment  and  penetration  are  requisite  for  the  physician  of 
animals  than  of  mankind.  What  then  must  be  the  feelings 


Diseases  of  Domestic  vlnimals. 


15 


of  any  humane  mind,  to  have  a favourite  horse,  which  may 
have  greatly  contributed  to  our  comfort,  health  or  pleasure, 
committed  to  the  care  of  the  most  ignorant  smith  or  farriei*, 
whose  stock  of  knowledge  may  consist  in  knowing  how  to 
ruin  the  poor  animal’s  foot,  by  bad  shoeing,  or  in  giving  him 
when  sick,  the  same  drench  from  a horn,  whether  the  dis- 
ease be  pleurisy  or  colic  ? This  regret  will  necessarily  con- 
tinue so  long  as  veterinary  medicine  is  not  studied  scientifi- 
cally, or  until  medical  gentlemen  cease  to  think  it  beneath 
their  notice ; and  I may  add,  until  the  owners  of  fine  horses 
will  by  pecuniary  rewards,  encourage  men  of  respectability 
and  knowledge  to  engage  in  its  practice.  Further,  it  is  a 
truth,  that  nature,  amidst  the  infinite  variety  in  structure, 
seems  to  have  fashioned  all  the  living  creatures  on  our  earth 
after  one  grand  model  of  organization  : this  is  more  especi- 
ally the  case  with  those  composing  the  extensive  class  mam- 
malia, of  which  man  is  the  head. 

The  bones,  the  muscles,  the  vessels,  the  nerves,  the  or- 
gans that  prepare  and  secrete  the  various  fluids  of  the  body, 
and  those  of  the  difierent  senses,  as  of  seeing,  hearing,  smell- 
ing and  tasting,  seem  to  be  substantially  the  same,  except 
as  regards  some  difference  in  form,  size  and  position,  arising 
from  the  peculiar  wants  of  each  animal. 

The  diseases  of  mankind  and  of  some  animals,  particular- 
ly the  horse,  are  moreover  very  similar.  Independently  of 
the  various  accidents  requiring  the  aid  of  surgery,  such  as 
wounds  and  fractures  of  bones  ; the  horse  is  also  subject  to 
fever,  pleurisy,  dropsy  in  the  brain,  severe  catarrh,  violent 
colics,  dysury  or  difficulty  in  staling,  diabetes  or  a preterna- 
tural flow  of  urine,  various  kinds  of  worms,  epilepsy,  asthma, 
locked  jaw,  and  other  complaints ; with  the  locked  jaw,  ma 
ny  horses  are  carried  off  in  this  city  every  year. 

The  Goitre  or  swelled  neck,  which  is  so  prevalent  a com- 
plaint among  the  inhabitants  of  Switzerland,  of  Thibet,  and 
other  countries  of  the  old  world,  and  also  in  the  new  fron- 
tier settlements  of  the  United  States,  attacks  sheep  and  calvev 


16 


On  Comparative  Anatomy,  and  the 


in  tliis  country,  and  dogs  in  Switzerland  according  to  Mr. 
Coxe.  From  my  inquiries  into  this  complaint,  as  it  ex- 
ists in  the  United  States,  I have  ascertained  that  it  invaria- 
bly disappears  when  the  land  is  well  cultivated,  and  di*aincd. 
But  the  fact  is  far  otherwise  in  the  other  quarters  of  the 
globe  ; there,  it  seems  to  he  indissolubly  connected  with  the 
climate  and  soil. 

Calves  are  also  subject  to  the  croup  or  hives,''^  and  dogs 
and  hogs  to  inveterate  cutaneous  eruptions. 

Dr.  Sims,  president  of  the  Medical  Society  of  London, 
says  he  knows  the  mange  in  dogs  and  cats  will  give  the  itch, 
and  that  of  two  sorts,  the  one  being  evidently  larger  than 
the  other  and  a friend  of  mine  was  alfeeted  with  a large 
pustule,  similar  to  the  chicken  pock,  from  touching  his  face 
after  handling  an  imported  merino  sheep,  at  the  time  the 
animal  was  aftected  with  the  disease  called  by  the  French, 
claveaii,  or  sheep-pock.  Poultry  too  have  their  peculiar 
diseases,  as  the  gaps  in  fowls,-*?  and  dropsy  in  the  craws  of 
turkeys. 

If  we  consider  the  present  state  of  animal  medicine  in  this 
country,  under  its  appellation  of  farriery,  we  see  it  in  as  de- 
plorable a situation,  as  was  the  aj-t  of  medicine,  during  the 
barbarous  ages,  when  the  gross  ignorance  of  its  professors 
brought  disgrace  upon  the  art  itself,  and  when  many  disea- 
ses, which  now  yield  readily  to  judicious  treatment,  raged 
without  controul ; yet  that  the  veterinary  art,  like  human 
medicine,  in  tlie  hands  of  a judicious  person,  is  raised  to  re- 
spect, we  may  see  by  the  example  of  ancient  times,  and  by 
the  present  example  of  several  nations  of  Europe.  If  we 
look  into  ancient  histoi-y,  we  find  that  before  the  downfall 
of  the  iloman  empire,  which  crushed  in  its  ruins  all  arts  and 
sciences,  veterinary  medicine  was  esteemed  among  the  most 
important  objects,  and  worthy  the  consideration  of  an  en- 
quiring mind.  Connected  on  the  one  hand  with  human  me- 
dicine, and  on  the  other  with  agriculture,  it  both  enlarged 
tlie  stock  of  human  knoAvledge,  and  improved  an  important 


Diseases  of  Domesfic  Animals. 


17 


brancli  of  rural  eeononly.^^  The  renerahle  Hippocrates 
Avrotc  a treatise  upon  the  subject.— In  Carthage,  Mago  com- 
posed an  elaborate  work  on  rural  and  veterinary  medicine. 
— Columella,  who  lived  about  the  fiftieth  year  of  the  Chris- 
tian account,  devoted  four  hooks,  out  of  twelve  on  husbandry 
in  general,  to  veterinary  medicine.  Catoj  Tai’ro,  Pliny,  and 
Vegetius,  (A.  C.  300,)  also  laboured  to  serve  veterinary  me- 
dicine.— Indeed  I find  from  my  researches  on  this  subject, 
that  the  course  of  human  and  animal  medicine  proceeded  to- 
gether, until  they  both  fell  at  the  irruption  of  ignorance  and 
barbarity  into  Europe,  in  the  third  and  fourth  centuries 
but  at  the  revival  of  knowledge,  and  of  a spirit  of  inquiry, 
while  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  life  of  man  animated  those 
labours  which  have  advanced  human  medicine  to  its  present 
state  of  perfection,  it  was  the  undeserved  lot  of  veterinary 
medicine  to  he  excluded  from  the  asylum  of  the  sciences, 
and  to  he  left  to  the  undisturbed  possession  of  the  most  illi- 
terate and  obstinate  of  men. — To  withdraw  it  from  its  obscu- 
rity, and  to  restore  it  to  that  rank  among  the  arts  and  scien- 
ces which  it  was  its  right  to  hold,  was  a merit  reserved  to 
France.  So  long  back  as  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth 
centnry,  Ruellius  compiled  by  order  of  Francis  the  first,  a 
large  assemblage  of  veterinary  matter,  whicli  he  translated 
into  Latin,  and  published  in  folio,  in  the  most  splendid  style, 
at  the  expense  of  his  king.  Afterwards,  the  government  of 
the  same  country,  under  Lewis  the  fourteenth,  formed  the 
first  establishment  for  studying  the  diseases  of  animals  ; and 
in  the  year  1762,  a regular  school  was  founded  at  Lyons,  in 
France,  for  the  study  and  improvement  of  veterinary  sci- 
ence, with  every  convenience  for  that  purpose  •,  apartments 
for  dissections,  with  a botanic  garden,  and  professors  in  clie- 
mistry  and  materia  medica,  and  others  to  teach  the  anato- 
mical structure  of  animals  in  general ; w ith  the  nature  and 
cure  of  the  diseases  incidental  to  them,  that  thereby  tlie 
whole  nation  might  be  provided  Avith  skilful  farriers.^®  This 
shortly  after  gave  rise  to  a similar  one  near  Paris,  and 
VOI.  IIT.  c 


On  Comparalivc  Analomy,  and  the 


lA 


at  present  veterinary  schools  are  as  regularly  organized 
throughout  France,  as  schools  for  arts  and  sciences.  The  ce- 
lebrated D’Aubenton,  the  friend  of  the  count  de  Buffon,  pre- 
sided over  the  school  at  Charenton,  and  afterwards  at  Eam- 
houillct,  on  the  removal  of  the  national  farm  to  that  place. 
All  these  establishments  being  directed  by  men  of  zeal  and 
science,  and  set  on  foot  and  supported  by  government,  gave 
a degree  of  respectability  unknoAvn  before  to  the  study,  and 
so  completely  removed  all  former  prejudices  against  it,  that 
it  soon  afterwards  became  very  generally  cultivated  by  peo- 
ple of  education  throughout  the  kingdom. 

The  example  set  by  France  was  soon  followed  in  Vienna 
by  Maria  Theresa,  and  her  successor  Joseph  the  second  ; by 
Denmark,  Sweden,  and  Prussia  ,*  and  last  of  all  England. — 
The  veterinary  college  was  established  in  London  in  the 
year  1790 ; and  1500  pounds  sterling  are  annually  granted  hy 
government  for  its  support.  No  person  is  permitted  to  offer 
as  a candidate  for  the  post  of  veterinary  surgeon  in  the  ar- 
my, without  attending  a stated  time,  the  lectures  and  demon- 
strations of  the  professor,  and  undergoing  an  examination, 
conducted  by  some  of  the  most  eminent  medical  and  surgi- 
cal characters  in  London,  who  from  patriotic  motives  take 
on  themselves  that  trouble.  The  professor  of  the  college  is 
Edward  Coleman,  a regular  bred  surgeon.  The  Dublin  so- 
ciety, which  is  liberally  endoAved  by  the  government  of  that 
country,  and  Avhich  has  done  so  much  for  the  improvement 
of  Ireland,  has  also  established  a veterinary  professorshij), 
and  a regular  bred  physician  (Dr.  Peel)  gives  lecture-s  on 
the  subject. 

It  remains  for  this  country,  in  which  the  spirit  for  im- 
provement in  stock  of  every  kind  is  so  visibly  inci’easing, 
and  tlie  value  of  which  is  enhanced  by  the  high  price  and 
the  growing  demand  for  some  of  them  j to  follow  those  ex- 
amples and  by  advancing  the  art  to  a height  as  yet  unat- 
tained, to  make  it  amends  for  the  neglect  Ave  have  hitherto 
slioAvn  it.  Indeed  I am  persuaded  that  in  a short  time  the 


Diseases  of  Domestic  Animals. 


19 


public  attention  will  be  called  to  the  subject,  and  that  men 
of  education  will  think  it  no  derogation  from  their  medical 
character,  to  become  acquainted  with  the  diseases  of  cattle, 
or  to  lend  their  aid  in  the  removal  of  them  when  required  j 
and  thus  rescue  our  useful  animals  from  the  unqualified 
hands  to  whose  care  they  must  otherwise,  as  at  present,  from 
necessity  be  committed. 

A distinction  must  be  made  between  veterinary  medicine 
and  farriery.  The  first  is  founded  upon  science,  whereas 
farriery  disclaiming  any  connexion  with  science,  proves  itself 
a mere  practice,  habit  or  routine,  and  as  it  rests  on  nothing 
regular  or  solid,  so  it  must  ever  be  variable.  The  course  of 
veterinary  medicine  and  farriery  are  indeed  the  same,  but 
with  this  difference,  that  the  former  condescends  to  admit  a 
guide,  while  the  latter  prefers  to  ramble  at  risk  and  hazard. 
Were  their  objects  any  way  different,  farriery  would  have  a 
plea  for  rejecting  the  assistance  of  veterinary  science,  found- 
ed on  the  peculiarity  of  its  own  object.  But  they  are  strict- 
ly the  same,  so  that  the  only  alternative  might  be  in  the  su- 
perior excellence  of  the  means  by  which  it  endeavours  to  ac- 
quire it.  But  we  know  that  farriery  pretends  to  ho  such 
means,  that  its  practice  is  a collection  of  prescriptions  and 
operations,  without  rule  or  precision,  communicable  to  any 
body,  in  the  form  of  a pamphlet.  With  this  view"  of  the 
subject,  how  is  it  possible  that  we  can  sacrifice  so  much  of 
our  common  prudence,  as  to  give  to  it  any  portion  of  that 
-confidence  w hich  medicine  itself  is  only  capable  of  exacting 
from  us,  in  proportion  as  it  exhibits  a quite  opposite  cha- 
racter.™ 

Such  being  the  facts  Avith  respect  to  the  knowdedge  re- 
quired for  the  veterinary  practitioner,  and  such  the  distinc- 
tion betAveen  veterinary  science  and  farriery,  let  us  inquire 
into  the  inducements  and  necessity  that  exist  for  acquiring 
the  knoAvledge  of  this  branch  of  the  medical  profession. 

1.  The  importance  of  the  subject. 

The  argument  derived  from  this  source  rests  on  the  value 


20 


On  Comparative  Jinalomy,  and  the 


of  cattle,  as  they  are  a source  of  public  and  private  opulence; 
the  means  of  our  subsistence,  and  the  instruments  of  our 
convenience  and  pleasure.  This  value,  1 repeat,  is  daily  in- 
creasing, owing  to  the  spirit  for  improvement  now  spreading 
through  the  United  States,  and  to  the  high  price  of  some 
stock,  particularly  line  woolled  sheep,  the  demand  for  which 
even  in  the  case  of  peace,  will  rapidly  increase,  from  the 
mere  increase  of  population. 

2.  The  veterinary  science  offers  a new  and  respectable 
means  of  employment  to  its  professors. 

It  must  be  obvious,  that  to  the  medical  practitioner  in  the 
country,  the  knowledge  of  the  diseases  of  domestic  animals 
will  be  tbe  means  of  not  only  greatly  extending  the  sphere 
of  his  utility,  but  his  personal  consideration,  particularly 
with  respect  to  the  noble  animal  the  horse,  which  always 
contributes  so  largely  to  our  wants,  wbieh  augments  our 
enjoyments,  and  preserves  our  health,  and  is  on  many  oc- 
casions an  object  of  particular  interest,  from  the  circum- 
stances of  cost  and  individual  merits,  Will  the  young 
practitioner  think  that  he  derogates  from  his  medical  dig- 
nity by  performing  an  act  of  humanity,  and  extending  the 
sphere  of  his  usefulness  in  any  way  connected  with  the  ex- 
ercise of  his  profession,  especially  in  one  that  has  engaged 
the  attention  and  labour  of  some  of  the  most  eminent  men, 
both  of  ancient  and  modern  time,  in  Europe  ?— -AVill  he  de- 
rive no  satisfaction— -nay  more,  will  he  not  add  to  his  medi- 
cal eclat,  or  obtain  pecuniary  recompense,  from  saving  the 
life  of  a favourite  racer  of  a sportsman,  or  the  hackney  of  a 
wealthy  invalid  ? Will  he  not  think  himself  well  employed 
in  setting  the  leg  of  a horse  of  the  hunter  breed,  so  valuable 
for  cavalry,  and  the  carriage,  and  which,  although  no  longer 
able  in  consequence  of  the  accident  to  shine  in  the  field,  may 
still  propagate  his  valuable  race  ? 

3.  In  the  United  States,  an  additional  necessity  for  atten- 
tion to  improvement  in  our  knowledge  of  veterinary  medicine 
arises  not  only  from  the  fact  of  our  ignorance  of  the  sub- 


Diseases  of  Domestic  Animals. 


21 


ject ; but  of  our  stock  being  liable  as  well  to  the  common  dis- 
eases to  Avhieh  they  are  from  their  nature  exposed  in  all 
countries,  as  to  peculiarly  fatal  diseases,  the  origin  of  which 
is  involved  in  great  obscurity. 

In  the  states  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  cattle  brought 
from  Europe,  or  from  the  interior,  to  the  vicinity  of  the  sea, 
are  invariably  attacked  by  a disease  which  is  generally  fatal. 
Cattle  from  the  interior  of  the  state  of  South  Carolina,  (but 
only  a particular  district,)  so  certainly  disease  all  others  with 
which  they  mix  in  their  progress  to  the  north,  that  I am  told 
they  are  prohibited  by  the  people  of  Virginia  from  passing 
through  the  state.  The  singularity  of  a fact  attending  the 
disease  is,  that  the  cattle  alluded  to  have  the  power  of  in- 
fecting others  witli  which  they  associate,  while  they  tliem- 
selves  are  in  perfect  health  ohis  I can  assert  from  my  own 
personal  observation,  in  the  year  1796.  The  particulars  of 
this  singular  but  fatal  complaint  I shall  hereafter  detail. 
Pennsylvania  has  to  regret  the  loss  of  many  thousand 
horses,  by  a disease  which  deserves  no  other  name  than  yel- 
low fever.  I allude  to  the  “ yelloio  xvaier,”  the  symptoms 
and  method  of  cure  of  Avhich  are  totally  different  from  the 
jaundice,  yellows,  or  yellow  water  of  Europe.  This  disease, 
I have  reason  to  believe,  is  peculiar  to  North  America.®* 

Europe  furnishes  no  disease  similar  to  the  mortification 
in  the  limbs  of  the  New  England  cattle  nor  to  that  peculi- 
ar salivation  Avhich  has  Avithin  the  last  tAventy  years  attack- 
ed our  horses,  from  eating  second  crop  grass,  particularly 
red  clover,®^  and  Avhich  from  its  debilitating  effects,  amounts 
to  a disease.  For  the  last  four  or  fire  months,  a ncAv  and 
very  fatal  disease  has  prevailed  among  the  horses  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Ncav  BrunsAviek,  Ncav  Jersey. 

4.  It  has  already  been  shoAvn,  that  by  means  of  compara- 
tiA'e  anatomy  Ave  have  ascertained  the  uses  of  various  organs 
of  the  human  body ; and  I now  can  add,  that  by  an  attention 
to  the  diseases  of  brute  animals,  the  folloAving  advantages 
have  also  resulted  to  mankind. 


22  On  Comparative  Anatomij,  and  the 


1.  We  have  been  enabled  to  obtain  precise  ideas  of  the 
nature  and  seat  of  some  serious  diseases  of  the  animal  frame.  ! 
Of  the  facts  illustrative  of  this  position,  one  of  the  most  im-  j 
portant  to  mankind  is  the  knowledge  of  the  cause  of  the  lo- 
cal and  general  disease  that  sometimes  succeeds  the  opera- 
tion of  bleeding  in  the  arm. — 'For  a long  time  the  inflamma- 
tion and  suppuration  beginning  at  the  orifice  made  by  the 
lancet,  and  the  fever  that  ensued,  were  ascribed  to  a punc- 
ture of  the  tendon  of  the  biceps  muscle,  or  of  the  fascia  of 
the  arm,  or  of  a nerve  ; by  others  these  symptoms  were  sup- 
posed to  originate  from  a bad  habit,  or  from  the  introduc- 
tion of  some  poison  adhering  to  the  lancet ; but  that  great 
benefactor  to  medical  science  and  to  surgery,  the  late  John  i 
Hunter,  of  London,  having  observed  a similar  accident  to 
take  place  after  the  rough  operation  of  bleeding  horses  in  the 
neck,  was  led  to  ascribe  the  disease  in  both  eases  to  the 
same  cause,  viz.  the  inflammation  of  the  internal  coat  of  the 
vein  ; and  repeated  dissections  of  inflamed  veins,  in  which  | 
the  operation  had  been  performed,  have  proved  the  accura- 
cy of  his  opinion.  By  the  elucidation  of  the  disease  in  ques- 
tion, Mr.  Hunter  has  made  us  acquainted  with  the  true  cause  ^ 
and  seat  of  a serious  disease,  and  increased  the  obligations  i 
he  has  laid  the  medical  world  under  by  his  other  improve- 
ments in  surgery  and  medicine.** 

2.  We  have  been  indebted  to  the  brute  creation  for  one  of 
the  greatest  temporal  blessings,  ever  conferred  upon  man-  j 
kind  by  Providence,  in  the  discovery,  that  by  conveying  from 

a small  pustule  on  the  teats  of  the  udder  of  the  cow,  a par- 
ticle of  matter,  under  the  cuticle  of  the  human  subject,  he 
was  forever  secured  against  that  scourge  of  his  existence, 
the  small  pox.  If  before  this  new  source  of  happiness  to 
mankind  had  been  drawn  from  this  useful  animal,  such  an 
event  as  that  just  now  mentioned,  had  been  declared  within 
the  compass  of  possibility,  the  supposition  would  have  been 
thought  as  improbable  as  that  which  I now  venture  to  make, 
viz.  that  there  is  just  reason  to  believe,  as  in  the  instance 


Diseases  of  Domeslie  tAnimals. 


eye* 


here  exhibited,  the  possibility  that  an  incapacity  of  being 
I acted  upon  by  the  canine  virus  in  both  man  and  animals, 
may  be  produced  by  exciting  in  them  a previous  disease. 

In  alluding  to  the  disease  sometimes  produced  by  the  bite 
of  a rabid  animal,  I am  sorry,  very  sorry  to  be  obliged  to 
declare,  that  it  still  continues  to  humble  the  pride  of  the  me- 
dical profession.  We  know  indeed  its  peculiarities  and  symp- 
toms, and  I myself  have  contributed  to  elucidate  its  patbo- 
logyj  but  we  also  know  its  extreme  fatality  5 and  with  regard 
to  the  means  of  cure,  the  learned  and  experienced  physician 
is  brought  at  once  to  the  level  of  the  most  uninformed  among 
the  multitude ; for,  gentlemen,  the  disease  has  never  been 
cured,  and  to  this  day,  we  are  obliged  to  remain  the  helpless 
spectators  of  our  patient’s  sulferings.’® 

But  we  must  not  despair ; for  I cannot  think  that  Provi- 
dence has  determined  to  permit  this  disease  to  he  forever  in- 
curable, and  can  any  more  powerful  argument  be  adduced 
for  investigating  the  diseases  of  domestic  animals,  than  the 
knowledge  of  this  fact,  that  all  of  us  are  cvei’y  day  of  our 
lives  liable  to  the  attack  of  an  aAvful  and  incurable  malady 
from  one  of  them,  and  who  is  the  gratcfisl  companion,  and 
faithful  midnight  defender  of  our  bouses  and  property  ? On 
this  disease  I shall  deliver  a particular  lecture ; and  although 
I will  not  assert  that  I can  point  out  a mode  of  cure,  yet  it 
will  still  be  useful  to  investigate  its  pathology,  for  truth  is 
always  elicited  by  discussion. 

3.  An  attention  to  the  diseases  of  domestic  animals  is  more- 
over of  infinite  importance  to  the  practitioner  of  medicine  in 
another  point  of  view  : for  by  them  we  are  led  sometimes 
to  anticipate  fatal  epidemics,  and  of  course  are  provided  with 
the  means  of  guarding  against  them.  Homer  tells  us,  that 
the  plague  that  spread  among  the  troops  at  the  siege  of  Troy 
with  great  fury,  first  made  its  appearance  among  dogs  and 
cats.  In  the  plague  that  ravaged  the  island  of  Egina,  to 
the  south  of  Athens,  about  sixty  years  before  the  Trojan 
war,  and  of  which  Ovid  has  given  an  affecting  account/'  the 


2-i 


On  Convparativc  JLnalomy,  and  the 


disease  also  first  invaded  dogs,  then  sheep  and  oxen,  and 
lastly  mankinds  The  pestilence  eindeinic  among  the  cattle, 
in  the  year  576,  at  Rome,  was  succeeded  the  next  year  by 
a mortal  plague.®* 

Dr.  Sims  of  London,  informs  us,  that  the  scarlet  fever 
which  prevailed  with  very  great  mortality  in  the  city  of  Lon- 
don, in  the  year  1798,  was  preceded  by  a remarkable  epide- 
mic among  cats,  which  is  said  to  have  killed  myriads  of  them. 
In  the  following  year  an  epidemic  prevailed  among  the  hor- 
ses, which  appeared  to  he  a peripneumony,  attended  with  a 
discharge  from  the  nostrils  like  glanders.  A similar  mor- 
tality among  cats  prevailed  in  the  months  of  May  and  June, 
in  1797,  in  Philadelphia,  and  destroyed  thousands  of  them  : 
and  we  all  remember  the  pestilential  fever  that  prevailed 
during  the  following  autumn.  Fish  too,  often  experience 
the  effects  of  a pestilential  atmosphere,^ of  which  the  history 
of  the  epidemics  in  1793, 179i,  and  1797,  in  our  own  country, 
afforded  strong  proofs.®® 

In  other  cases,  epidemic  diseases,  or  a general  unhealthi* 
ness  of  the  air,  have  been  preceded  or  accompanied  by  a vast 
increase  of  insects  and  small  animals.  Of  this,  a number  of 
instances  might  be  mentioned,  from  Lord  Bacon  respecting 
tlie  plague  in  London  in  1666  ; from  Diemerbroek  on  the 
same  disease  in  Holland  in  1635  and  1636 ; from  Baddam, 
on  the  plague  of  Dantzick  in  1709 ; and  from  the  account  of 
the  epidemic  at  Bengal  in  1771. 

During  the  fever  at  Plymouth,  Massachusetts,  in  1633, 
the  woods  were  filled  with  innumerable  large  flies,  of  the 
size  of  bees, 6®  and  during  the  pestilential  time  in  the  United 
States,  between  1792  and  1801,  various  other  insects  abound- 
ed in  different  parts.®^  In  particular,  during  the  year  1798, 
grasshoppers  overspread  the  country ; and  we  know  that 
that  year  Mas  very  unhealthy.  In  the  year  1805  also,  the 
grass  Mas  destroyed  by  them  in  the  low  counties  of  New 
Jersey;  and  the  same  year,  such  was  the  mortality  in  Salem 
county,  that  I M as  informed  the  courts  could  not  proceed  in 


Diseases  of  Domestic  Animals. 


25 


their  business,  owing  to  the  death  of  many  jurymen  by 
malignant  fevers.  The  same  year  tlie  yellow  fever  prevail- 
ed in  Philadelphia.  Many  more  facts  of  a similar  nature 
might  be  mentioned,  were  it  necessary. 

In  the  prosecution  of  my  course,  it  is  my  intention  to  adopt 
the  following  plan : 

1.  I shall  demonstrate  the  structure  of  different  animals. 

2.  Explain  the  use  and  functions  of  the  several  parts,  and 
compare  them  with  those  of  the  human  body. 

3.  Point  out  the  causes,  nature  and  symptoms  of  diseases 
in  our  domestic  animals,  w ith  the  method  of  cure. 

4^.  Give  the  natural  history,  operations  and  doses  of  me- 
dicines. 

From  this  plan  it  will  he  seen,  that  farriery,  strictly  so 
called,  or  what  relates  to  the  fashionable  operations  on  a 
horse,  makes  no  part  of  the  course.  By  thus  separating  the 
scientific  from  the  merely  mechanical  part,  the  veterinarian 
science  will  be  at  once  put  in  a condition  to  go  hand  in  hand 
with  human  medicine  ; but  it  is  proper  to  remark,  that  in 
respect  to  the  noble  animal  just  mentioned,  the  preservation 
of  whose  health  is  so  essentially  important  to  us,  the  proper 
method  of  shoeing  shall  be  taught,  and  directions  given  for 
restoring  to  a natural  state  those  hoofs  which  have  been  in- 
jured by  a bad  system  having  been  previously  followed ; with 
ample  instructions  how  to  preserve  his  health  in  all  situa- 
tions in  which  he  may  be  placed. 


vox.  III. 


f 


NOTES 


TO  THE 

INTRODUCTORY  LECTURE. 


JV'*o/e  1. 

See  the  Iliad,  book  5,  verses  65  and  30i.  Book  11,  verse 
5T-i  : other  passages  might  be  referred  to. 

J\'‘ofe  2. 

Galen  was  a native  of  Pergainus  in  Lesser  Asia;  and  af- 
ter travelling  wherever  instruetion  was  to  be  obtained,  settled 
at  Rome.  Although  a pupil  of  the  Alexandria  sehool,  he 
did  not  blindly  adopt  its  dogmas.  On  the  contrary,  he  thought 
and  acted  for  himself;  as  a proof  of  which  it  may  be  men- 
tioned, that  he  disproved  by  a simple  and  obvious  experi- 
ment, the  opinion  it  had  long  entertained  and  taught,  (viz. 
that  the  arteries  carried  air,)  by  laying  bare  a branch  of  one 
of  them,  in  a living  animal,  and  dividing  it  between  two  li- 
gatures. 

JVotc  3. 

This  event,  it  is  said,  took  place  in  the  year  640  of  Christ, 
and  that  for  six  months  the  Turks  heated  their  numerous 
baths  by  the  MSS  collections  of  one  thousand  years.  Tlie 
fact  is  not  credited  by  M.  Renaudot  or  Gibbon.  The  writer 
upon  whose  authority  it  is  given,  is  Ahul  Pharagius,  “ and 
the  solitary  report  of  a stranger,  who  wrote  at  the  end  of 
600  years,  on  the  confines  of  Media,  is  overbalanced  by  the 
silence  of  two  annalists  of  a more  early  date,  both  Christians, 
both  natives  of  Egypt,  and  the  most  ancient  of  whom,  Eu- 
tychius,  has  amply  described  the  conquest  of  Alexandria.” 
Gibbon’s  Decline,  &c.  chap.  51.  Eutychius  lived  between 


^''otes  to  InlroAuctonj  Lecture. 


27 


the  years  876  and  950.  Abul  Pharagius  was  a native  of 
Malatia,  and  died  in  1286,  at  Aleppo,  primate  of  the  East. 
His  work  (Historia  Dynast.)  was  translated  from  the  Ara- 
bic, by  the  learned  Pococke,  into  Latin,  1659. 

JV’ofe  4. 

Under  the  auspices  of  Almanzur,  the  second  caliph,  and 
his  son  Abdallah,  Bagdad  arose  and  flourished  in  the  East, 
(762)  and  at  once  became  the  residence  of  the  successors  of 
Mahomet,  and  for  a long  time  the  seat  of  all  the  learning  in 
that  quarter  of  the  world.  The  exertions  of  the  learned 
men  of  that  day,  however,  were  confined  to  translating  an- 
cient Greek  manuscripts  : they  made  no  dissections.  Never- 
theless the  spirit  of  inquiry  was  thus  kept  up,  and  to  their 
translations  did  the  western  part  of  Europe  OAve  their  ac- 
quaintance with  the  learning  of  the  ancients. 

JN^ofe  5. 

AndrcAV  Vesalius  Avas  born  at  Brussels  about  the  year 
1512  or  1514.  He  AA^as  educated  at  Louvain,  and  studied 
anatomy  at  Paris,  under  Sylvius.  In  1537  he  Avas  appointed 
professor  at  Padua,  by  the  republic  of  Venice.  Charles  the 
fifth  called  him  to  be  his  physician,  and  he  Avas  also  physician 
to  Philip  the  second.  He  published  his  celebrated  Avork,  de 
Humaiii  Corporis  fahrica,  in  1543,  Avhen  only  about  30  years 
of  age : in  this  he  detected  the  anatomical  errors  of  Galen, 
and  proved  that  he  had  taken  his  descriptions  from  brutes. 
This  service  to  truth  raised  him  numerous  enemies.  He  is 
said  to  have  been  forced  to  fly,  or  to  banisli  himself,  in  con- 
sequence of  having  opened  the  body  of  a Spanish  nobleman, 
supposed  to  be  dead,  but  Avhose  heart  he  found  beating. 
Other  causes  are  ascribed  for  the  act,  but  Avhatever  Avas  the 
motive,  he  set  out  to  visit  Jerusalem  Avith  Rimini,  general 
of  the  Venetian  army,  and  returning  at  the  invitation  of  the 
senate  of  Venice,  to  fill  the  chair  at  Padua,  he  Avas  ship- 
Avrecked,  and  died  on  the  island  of  Zante,  in  1564. 

Fallopius  Avas  born  in  1490,  and  was  a pupil  of  Vesalius, 
and  aftcrAvards  professor  at  Pisa,  and  at  Padua,  Avhere  he 


as 


J\*otes  to  Introduclory  Lecturt. 


died  in  1563.  Ilis  works  are  contained  in  three  volumes 
folio.  He  was  deemed  among  the  lirst  physicians  and  ana- 
tomists of  the  age,  and  cultivated  medicine  and  anatomy 
with  great  zeal. 

Eustaehius  was  contemporary  with  the  two  forinei',  and 
taught  at  Rome.  He  was  a zealous  anatomist,  and  the  pas- 
sage from  the  ear  to  the  mouth  is  called  after  him,  the  Eu- 
stachian tube. 

Fahrieius  Ah  Aquapendente,  (the  preceptor  of  Dr.  Har- 
vey,) was  professor  at  Padua,  which  for  nearly  200  years 
was  the  most  respectable  medical  school  on  the  continent  of 
Europe.  His  works  were  collected  and  published  in  Latin, 
atLeipsic,hy  professor  llohn,  in  one  volume  folio,  1687,  with 
numerous  plates.  Besides  much  human  anatomy,  he  has 
treated  largely  of  the  organs  of  animals. 

6. 

Nehemiah  Grew,  an  ingenious  and  learned  physician,  was 
the  son  of  Mr.  Obadiah  Grew,  minister  in  Coventry.  Hav- 
ing been  sent  to  a foreign  university  for  some  years,  he  re- 
turned, after  taking  the  degree  of  doctor  of  physic,  to  Lon- 
don, and  was  admitted  to  fellowship  in  the  college  of  physi- 
cians in  1680.  He  obtained  extensive  practice ; was  elected 
a fellow  of  the  royal  society  ; and  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Old- 
denburg,  succeeded  to  the  office  of  secretary  ; in  consequence 
of  which  he  carried  on  the  publication  of  the  Philosophical 
Transactions  for  a considerable  time.  He  also  drew  up  a 
catalogue  of  the  articles  in  the  museum  of  the  society,  which 
he  finished  in  folio,  under  the  title  of  Museum  Regalis  So- 
cietatis.  To  this  is  generally  appended  a work  entitled  the 
« comparative  anatomy  of  stomachs  and  guts,”  being  seve- 
ral lectures  read  before  the  royal  society  in  1676.  The  work 
however  by  which  Grew  is  most  deservedly  celebrated,  is 
his  anatomy  of  plants,  in  which  he  has  shown  a wonderful 
degree  of  ingenuity.  This  work  is  accompanied  by  very  nu- 
merous and  well  executed  engravings,  and  may  be  consider- 
ed as  one  of  the  most  curious  performances  of  the  seven 


JV\)f€S  to  Introductory  Lecture. 


29 


teenth  century.  Another  very  celebrated  publication  of  this 
author,  is  the  Cosmologia  Sacra,  or  “ a discourse  of  the  uni- 
verse, as  it  is  the  creature  and  kingdom  of  God.” — This  was 
chiefly  composed  to  demonstrate  the  truth  and  excellence  of 
the  sacred  writings.  Dr.  Grew  died  in  1711.  Trans.  Royal 
Soc.  Loud.  J^ew  JLhrid.  vol.  1.  page  660. 

J\''ote  7. 

Thomas  Willis  was  born  in  Wiltshire,  in  1621,  and  died  in 
1675.  He  was  an  excellent  anatomist,  as  he  has  proved  in  his 
Jlnatome  Cerebri.  He  also  wrote  Pathologia  Cerebri,  and  Be 
Anima  Brutorum.  His  works  Avere  published  in  London, 
1679,  in  Latin,  and  1681,  in  English. 

8. 

Edward  Tyson  was  a celebrated  physician  and  anatomist 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  a great  contributor  to  the 
Philosophical  Transactions,  especially  on  subjects  relative 
to  natural  history  and  comparative  anatomy.  He  read  lec- 
tures at  Gresham  college.  Besides  his  numerous  commu- 
nications to  the  royal  society,  he  published  the  following 
works  : Phocfena,  or  an  anatomy  of  a porpus,  1680.  Cari- 
gueya  seu  Marsupiale  Amerieanum,  or  the  anatomy  of  an 
opossum,  dissected  at  Gresham  college,  1698,  (of  Avhich  an 
account  is  also  inserted  in  the  Philosophical  Transactions.) 
The  anatomy  of  a pigmy  compared  with  a monkey,  an  ape, 
and  man,  1699.  Trans.  Royal  Soc.  Loud.  JVeio  Mrid.  vol.  2. 
page  448. 

JV'ote  9. 

Samuel  Collins  published  “ a system  of  anatomy  ofcthe  bo- 
dy of  man,  beasts,  birds,  insects  and  plants,”  2 volumes  folio, 
1685,  Avith  numerous  plates,  accurately  representing  the 
parts  described : there  is  as  much  comparative  as  human 
anatomy  in  the  Avork.  < 

JV'ote  10. 

Richard  LoAver  Avas  one  of  the  best  anatomists  of  the  se- 
venteenth century.  He  Avas  educated  at  Oxford,  took  his 
degree  of  M.  D.  in  that  University,  and  exercised  his  pro- 


30 


^"“otes  lo  Inlroduclovy  Lecture. 


Icssioii  there  for  some  years  ; but  at  length  removed  to  Lon- 
don, where  he  got  into  extensive  praetice.  He  and  Dr.  King 
appear  to  have  been  the  first  avIio  performed  the  experiment 
of  the  transfusion  of  blood.  Besides  several  papers  inserted 
in  the  Philosophical  Transactions,  he  wrote  a treatise,  Avhich 
procured  him  a great  and  deserved  renown,  de  corde,  item  de 
motii  et  colore  sanguinis  ct  chyli  in  eum  transitu,  1669.  Among 
other  things  in  this  treatise,  he  pointed  out  the  difference 
between  arterial  and  venous  blood,  proving  that  the  florid 
colour  of  the  arterial  blood  is  derived  from  the  air.  Trans. 
Royal  Soc.  Land.  JSTew  Ahrid.  vol.  1.  p.  197. 

J\'ote  11. 

John  Conrad  Peyer,  M.  D.  rendered  important  services 
to  the  anatomists  of  his  day,  by  his  Avork  entitled  “ Meryco- 
logia,  sive  de  ruminantibus  ct  ruminationc  commentarius.” 
Bazil,  1685. 

Js^ote  12. 

Rcgner  de  Graaf  Avas  born  at  Shoonhoven,  in  16  il  j he 
studied  at  Leyden  under  de  le  Boe  Sylvius  and  Van  Horne  j 
but  took  his  doctor’s  degree  at  Angers,  and  practiced  at 
Delft.  He  Avas  the  author  of  the  folloAving  anatomical  trea- 
tises: De  sued  pancrcatici  nalura,  166i>,  and  1666  ; Devi- 
vorum  organis  generationi  inservientibus,  1668  ; De  miilk- 
rum  organis  generationi  inservientibus,  1672 ; Defensio  par- 
tium  genitalium,  1675.  These  Avere  collected  into  one  8vo 
volume,  and  reprinted  after  his  death,  under  the  title  of 
Opera  Omnia,  Leyden,  1677.  He  died  prematurely  when 
only  32^ears  of  age,  in  consequence,  as  is  supposed,  of  great 
uneasiness  of  mind,  brought  on  by  the  Avarm  disputes  in  Avhich 
he  Avas  involved  Avith  SAvammerdam.  In  his  tract  on  the 
pancreatic  juice,  he  gives  an  account  of  a very  difficult  ana- 
tomical experiment  Avhich  he  performed  on  a living  dog, 
opening  the  abdomen,  and  inserting  a tube  into  the  pancrea- 
tic duct,  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  the  juice  thereof;  to 
Avhich  he,  like  Sylvius,  ascribed  acid  properties.  By  his 
other  Avritings  he  thrcAV  considerable  light  on  the  structure 


Xotes  to  Introductory  Lecture. 


31 


and  uses  of  the  different  parts  belonging  to  the  organs  of  ge- 
neration in  both  sexes.  Trans.  Royal  Soc.  JVexo  Jlbrid.  vol. 
±,  page  2ii. 

De  Gi’aaf  also  rendered  essential  services  to  anatomy,  by 
contriving  convenient  instruments  for  injecting  vessels,  the 
idea  of  which  had  however  occurred  before  to  others,  and 
had  even  been  carried  into  effect. 

JV’ote  13. 

Anthony  Van  Leewenhoek,  so  highly  celebrated  for  his 
curious  microscopical  observations,  was  a Dutch  gentleman, 
of  Delft  in  Holland.  He  was  born  in  the  year  1632,  and 
died  in  1723,  aged  91  years.  Leewenhoek  was  not,  properly 
speaking,  a man  of  letters,  hut  from  the  extraordinary  assi- 
duity with  which  he  pursued  his  researches  into  the  minuter 
parts  of  nature,  and  the  striking  novelty  of  the  curious  ob- 
servations which  he  published,  his  name  is  perhaps  more 
frequently  quoted  by  philosophers  and  naturalists,  than  that 
of  any  other  writer  of  his  time.  This  celebrated  observer 
had  the  good  fortune  to  live  at  a period,  when  the  instru- 
ment by  which  he  obtained  bis  fame,  was  yet  in  some  de- 
gree in  its  infancy.  He  applied  himself  with  unremitted 
care  to  the  grinding  and  polishing  into  a state  of  perfection, 
the  simple  lens,  as  being  the  best  calculated  for  accurate  in- 
vestigation ; and  less  liable  to  those  deceptions  which  a com- 
position of  glasses  sometimes  occasions.  So  many,  and  so 
extraordinary  were  the  discoveries  of  Leewenhoek,  that  he 
may  be  said  to  have  brought  into  view  a new  world  in  sci- 
ence ; and  such  was  the  general  truth  and  fidelity  of  his  ob- 
servations and  descriptions,  and  the  respect  paid  to  his  com- 
munications, that  he  has  been  not  unaptly  complimented 
with  the  title  of  the  Delphic  Oracle,  and  yet  he  was  not  free 
from  errors.  Trans.  Royal  Soc.  Land.  JVew  Mrid.  vol.  2, 
page  66. 

His  works  were  printed  in  Latin  at  Leyden,  in  1722,  and 
afterwards  in  Low  Dutch  and  have  been  translated  into 
English  by  Samuel  Hoole,  London,  1800. 


32 


Js*otes  to  Introdiictonj  Lecture. 

J\''ote  14. 

Blazius  published  in  1681,  a volume  in  quarto,  on  the  ana- 
tomy of  various  animals,  with  plates,  entitled  Jlnatomia  Jlni- 
maliumjiguris  variis  illustrata.  He  had  previously  publish- 
ed a smaller  one  in  1673,  entitled  Jlnatome  Hominis,  Bruto^ 
rimque  variorum,  and  other  works. 

dVote  15. 

John  Swammerdam.  This  celebrated  anatomist  and  natu- 
ral historian  was  horn  at  Amsterdam  in  1637.  His  father 
Avas  an  apothecary  in  that  city,  and  possessed  a small  cabi- 
net of  natural  curiosities,  by  the  frequent  survey  of  which 
his  son  acquired  a taste  for  those  pursuits,  by  Avhich  he  af- 
terwards rendered  himself  so  conspicuous.  He  studied  at 
Leyden,  where  he  took  the  degree  of  doctor  in  medicine,  in 
1667,  hut  never  engaged  in  the  practice  of  physic,  devoting 
himself  wholly  to  anatomical  and  physiological  inquiries, 
and  to  collecting  and  examinyig  insects.  Of  this  class  of 
animated  beings  he  investigated  the  generation,  structure, 
and  metamorphoses,  with  astonishing  patience  and  assiduity, 
and  described  and  elucidated  the  same  in  his  admirable  work 
entitled,  « A general  history  of  insects,”  first  published  in  the 
Butch  language,  in  1669,  and  afterAvards  translated  into  Eng- 
lish. His  Historia  Ephemerse  appeared  in  1675.  These  and 
other  observations,  relative  to  the  natural  history  of  insects 
Avere  collected  into  a folio  volume,  (Dutch  and  Latin,)  print- 
ed at  Leyden  in  1737,  under  the  title  of  Biblia  Naturae,  sive 
historia  insectoriim.  This  edition  Avas  superintended  by  Bo- 
erhave,  Avho  Avrote  the  biograpMcal  memoirs  Avhich  are  pre- 
fixed to  it  j but  the  Latin  translation  was  by  Gaubius,  pro- 
fessor of  pathology  at  Leyden.  Besides  a tract  on  respira- 
tion, Swammerdam  Avrote  another  anatomical  Avork,  entitled, 
Miraculmn  J^aturcc  scu  uteri  mutieris  fabrica,  published  in 
1672.  He  appears  to  have  been  the  first  who  practiced  the 
art  of  injecting  the  blood  vessels  Avith  wax  ; for  his  country- 
man and  contemporary  Ruysch  learned  this  method  of  him. 

His  collection  of  insects  and  other  objects  belonging  to 


JS^otes  to  Introductory  Lecture. 


natural  history,  forM  liich  tlie  Grand  Duke  of  Florence  once 
offered  him  12000  fforins,  was  sold  for  a very  inconsiderable 
sum.  I'cans.  Royal  Soc.  Loud.  JK'^ew  Jlhrid.  vol.  l*]j.  190. 

Swammerdam  first  employed  hot  wax  to  inject  into  the 
blood  vessels. 

J\''ote  16. 

Frederick  Ruysch  was  born  at  theHague  in  163S,  studied 
at  Leyden,  and  settled  at  Amsterdam,  on  being  appointed 
professor  of  anatomy  there.  He  formed  a fine  collection  of 
anatomical  prcjiarations,  and  curiosities  in  natural  histoi-y, 
Avhieh  was  purchased  by  Peter  the  Great,  and  sent  to  Peters- 
burgh.  He  died  in  1731,  aged  91  years.  Ruysch  excelled  in 
the  art  of  injecting  the  blood  vessels,  and  in  filling  the  ca- 
pillary vessels.  He  also  employed  maceration  and  erosion. 
He  first  discovered  valves  in  the  lymphatics,  and  contributed 
largely  to  the  progress  of  anatomical  knowledge  by  his  la- 
bours. His  Avorks  make  four  volumes  quarto,  enriched  with 
a great  number  of  plales. 

jVote  17. 

Rudbeck  Avas  born  in  Sweden  in  1630,  Avas  professor  of 
physic  in  the  university  of  Upsal,  and  founder  of  the  botanic 
ganlen  there. 

Xote  18. 

Thomas  Bartholine  Avas  the  son  of  Caspar  Bartholine,  (a 
man  of  universal  erudition,)  he  ’arss  Jt  ffrst  made  professor 
of  mathematics,  at  Copenhagen,  bcif  afterwards  filled  the 
anatomical  and  medical  chair  in  that  university.  In  this  si- 
tuation he  discovered  the  lymphatic  vessels.  He  also  traced 
the  course  of  the  thoracic  duct  in  the  human  subject,  con- 
firming and  elucidating  Pecquet’s  description  thereof.  His 
anatomical  and  medical  Avritings  are  very  numerous.  This 
celebrated  man  died  in  1680,  aged  6i  years.  Philos.  Trans, 
abridged,  vol.  1,  p.  247. 

J^^oic  19. 

Mareellus  Malphigi  Avas  born  in  tlie  year  1628,  near  Bo- 
logna, Avhere  he  studied  and  graduated,  M.  D.  in  1633.  He 


J\'‘otc$  to  Inlroduclorij  Lcclure. 


3i' 


Mas  elected  to  the  professorsliip  of  the  theory  of  medicine 
in  tliat  university,  in  1656,  but  soon  afterwards  accepted  of 
a similar  appointment  at  Pisa,  which  situation  he  resigned 
at  the  end  of  three  years,  as  the  air  of  that  place  was  pre- 
judicial to  his  health.  In  1662,  he  succeeded  Castelli  in 
the  professorship  of  physic  at  Messina,  where  he  remained 
four  years,  and  then  returned  again  to  Bologna.  Here  he 
continued  as  a teacher  of  medicine  in  the  highest  repute, 
Iroin  1666  to  1691,  when  he  was  invited  to  Rome,  and  ap- 
pointed chief  physician  to  Pope  Innocent  XII.  He  died  at 
Rome  of  an  apoplexy,  in  1691.  Malphigi’s  labours  have 
throAvn  great  light  upon  the  structure  and  physiology  of  the 
human,  brute,  and  vegetable  creation  ; as  may  be  seen  by 
consulting  his  Jlnatomc  Plantarum,  Epistolce  AnatomicK, 
Exercitationes  tAnatomicce,  Dissertationes  dc  JJtero,  de  For- 
matione  j)ulli  in  ovo,  de  honibyce,  &c.  These  tracts  were  col- 
lected intotw'o  folio  volumes,  printed  in  London  in  1686,  un- 
der the  title  of  Malphigii  opera  Phijsica  et  Medica.  And  in 
1697  a third  folio  volume  appeared,  containing  his  Opera 
Postliuma.  In  his  anatomical  investigations  he  resorted  to 
Avhat  in  those  days  Avere  iieAV  methods  ; viz.  to  maceration 
of  the  parts,  injection  of  the  vessels  Avith  coloured  liquors, 
and  the  employment  of  magnifying  glasses.  By  such  means 
he  Avas  veiy  successful  in  developing  the  intricate  structure 
of  some  of  the  viscera  in  man  and  quadrupeds,  as  Avell  as  the 
minute  fabric  of  insects  and  vegetables.  He  appears  to  have 
been  the  first  Avho  used  the  microscope  for  examining  the 
circulation  of  the  blood.  Trans.  Moyal  Soc.  Land.  JTav  ,*3.1). 
Tol.  1,  p.  190. 

Francis  Redi  Avas  born  at  Arezzo,  in  1626  ; studied  phy- 
sic at  Pisa ; Avas  appointed  physician  to  Ferdinand  II,  and 
aftei'Avards  to  Cosmo  III,  for  Avith  the  family  of  the  Medici, 
literary  and  scientific  merit  led  to  preferment,  and  was  sure 
of  receiving  its  due  tribute  and  rcAvard.  After  his  death,  in 
1698,  Cosmo  caused  a medal  to  be  struck  to  perpetuate  his 
name.  Ilis  letters  (2  vols.  8vo)  contain  a variety  of  medi- 


JV"o{cs  to  Introductory  Lecture. 


35 


eal  cases  and  remarks,  wUli  observations  on  anatomy,  natu- 
ral liistory,  and  experimental  philosophy.  His  style  is  re- 
garded hy  his  countrymen  as  higlily  classical.  His  works 
amount  to  7 volumes  4to.  Hutchinson,  vol.  1,  p.  429. 

JS'ole  20. 

Casserins  wrote  Be  voce  uuditusquc  organis  historia  ana- 
tomica.  Paris,  1600,  folio,  with  plates  and  cuts. 

J\"'otc  2H 

The  title  of  one  of  Perrault’s  Avorks  is  OEuvres  diverses 
de  Phisiqnc  et  de  Meclianique,  far  Mess.  C.  & P.  Perrault, 
(a  Avork  of  the  latter,  on  fountains,  having  been  published 
with  those  of  his  brother  Claude,)  Leyden,  1622,  2 vols.  ito. 

Claude  Perrault  also  Avrote  Memoires  pour  servir  d Vhis- 
toire  naturelle  des  aniinaux,  1676,  folio.  He  Avas  an  excel- 
lent architect,  and  designed  the  superb  entrance  of  the  Lou- 
vre. lie  died  in  1687,  aged  75.  His  life  may  be  seen  in 
Hutchinson’s  Biographia  Medica,  Ijondon,  1799. 

G.  J.  Duverney,  professor  of  anatomy,  Paris.  Haller  says 
of  him,  ‘‘per  sexaginta  annos  innumerabilia  corpora  incidit, 
ct  a praxi  etiam  medica  abstinuit,  ut  inter  mortuos  viveret ; 
multorum  certe  inventorum  auctor,  que  aliis  nominibus  tri- 
buuntur.”  Bibl.  Anat.  tom.  1,  p.  626.  Duverney  Avas  the 
human  and  comparative  anatomical  pioneer  of  the  latter  part 
of  the  J 7th,  and  beginning  of  the  IStli  centuries, 

Xole  22. 

D’Aubenton  gave  the  anatomy  of  most  of  the  animals, 
Avhose  natural  history  Avas  described  by  Buffon.  Two  edi- 
tions AA  ere  originally  published  of  Buffon’s  Avork  one  in  ito. 
and  another  in  12mo. — But  later  French  and  English  editions 
have  omitted  the  anatomical  parts. 

Mote  23. 

Yic  D’Azyr,  the  son-in-laAV  of  D’Aubenton,  Avas  a very 
able  human  and  comparative  anatomist ; he  compiled  the 
excellent  system  of  comparative  anatomy  inserted  in  the 
Mouvellc  Encyclopedie  Methodique  in  Avhich  the  anatomy  of 
each  animal  is  given  separately  ,•  and  published  many  papers 


36 


^^oles  lo  Introductory  Lecture. 


on  the  subject  in  the  Memoirs  of  the  French  Academy.  The 
anatomy  of  each  animal  is  given  separately,  whereas  Cuvier 
and  Blumenbach  treat  the  subject  according  to  the  organs 
and  functions  of  the  body. 

J^otc  24. 

An  excellent  account  of  Camper  may  he  found  in  the  New 
Edinburgh  Encyclopsedia,  published  by  Edward  Parker, 
Philadelphia. 

Me  25. 

Cuvier’s  work  is  entitled  Lecons  D’Anatoinie  Comparee ; 
in  5 vols.  8vo.  and  a 6th  of  plates,  Paris,  1805.  The  two 
first  vols.  have  been  translated  in  Loudon  by  Mr.  Ross  under 
the  direction  of  IMr.  McCartney,  lecturer  on  comparative 
anatomy.  A larger  work  by  Cuvier  is  shortly  expected  on 
the  same  subject. 

JVote  26. 

Blumenbaeh’s  work  is  in  one  vol.  8vo.  and  forms  an  ex- 
cellent compend  of  the  science.  It  is  well  translated  by 
Mr.  Lawrence  of  London.  The  transactions  of  the  royal 
society  of  London  contain  a great  number  of  papers  on  com- 
parative anatomy  by  various  persons : a list  of  which  is 
given  in  Dr.  Thompson’s  excellent  and,  entertaining  “ His- 
tory of  the  Royal  Society  from  its  institution  to  the  end  of 
the  ±8th  century,  London,  1812,”  p.  112.  The  subjects  be- 
ing scientifically  classed,  by  Dr.  Thompson,  a reference  to  it 
will  save  much  unnecessary  labour  in  searching  the  volu- 
minous work  of  the  society  for  a paper  on  comparative 
anatomy,  or  any  other  subject  that  he  may  wish  to  investi- 
gate. See  also  the  article  Comparative  Anatomy”  in  the 
Philadelphia  edition  of  the  New  Edinburgh  Encyclopfcdia 
for  a list  of  authors  and  papers  on  our  subject. 

JVote  27. 

The  title  of  Herder’s  profound  work  is  “ Outlines  of  the 
philosophy  of  the  history  of  man,  by  John  Godfrey  Herder.” 
An  English  translation  was  published  by  T.  Churchill,  Lon- 
don, 1800,  4to. 


JVo/es  to  InlrodHclory  Lecture. 


jyote  28. 

Anatomists  might  have  reasonably  concluded  that  Galen’s 
anatomical  descriptions  had  been  taken  from  brutes ; be- 
cause, although  he  says,  he  had  dissected  many  of  the  latter, 
yet  he  makes  no  mention  of  having  examined  human  bodies  : 
we  know  also  that  he  expressly  advises  physicians  to  prac- 
tice the  dissections  of  apes  and  monkeys,  and  not  to  lose  the 
opportunity  of  dissecting  human  subjects  if  by  chance,  the 
German  war,  or  any  other  accident,  they  should  find  one ; 
and  had  Galen  ever  dissected  a human  body,  his  vanity  Avhich 
is  so  conspicuous  in  his  writings  would  not  have  permitted 
him  to  conceal  the  fact.  Vesalius  first  discovered  that 
Galen’s  description  of  the  human  body  Avas  formed  from  the 
dissection  of  brutes,  by  comparing  his  descriptions  Avith  the 
actual  structure  of  the  parts  as  laid  open  by  the  knife,  and 
for  this  service  to  medicine  and  to  truth  he  excited  the  en- 
mity of  all  the  medical  professors,  Avho  had  been  promulgat- 
ing Galen’s  mistatements,  as  truths. 

J\'ofes  29,  so. 

Trans.  Royal  Soe.  London,  1797. 

A^ofe  31. 

Harvey’s  account  of  his  discovery  is  entitled  “ Exercitatio 
Anatomica  de  Cordis  et  sanguinis  motu.”  It  is  an  extraordi- 
nary circumstance  that  the  circulation  of  the  blood  through 
the  body,  should  not  have  been  discovei  ed  before  the  time  of 
Harvey,  considering  that  the  fact  (although  not  founded  on 
experiment)  is  plainly  asserted  by  Plato,  Avhose  Avritings  had 
been  so  long  familiar  to  the  learned  Avorld.  “ The  heart, 
says  he,  is  the  centre  or  knot  of  the  blood  vessels  : tlie  spring 
or  fountain  of  the  blood  Avhieh  is  carried  impetuously  round; 
the  blood  is  the  pabulum,  or  food  of  the  flesh  : and  for  the 
purpose  of  nourishment,  the  body  is  laid  out  into  canals,  like 
those  Avhich  are  draAvn  through  gardens,  that  the  blood  may 
he  conveyed,  as  from  a fountain  to  every  part  of  the  pervi- 
ous body.” 


3S 


J^otes  to  Introductory  Lecture. 


Hippocrates  also  speaks  of  the  “ vessels  communicating 
Avith  each  other,  and  of  the  hlood  undergoing  a kind  of  flux 
and  reflux  from  and  to  the  heart  like  the  ebbing  and  flowing 
of  the  sea,”  and  even  mentions  the  throbbing  of  the  temporal 
arteries,  as  an  evidence  of  the  fact.  Galen  also  had  (as  I 
have  before  said,)  showed  that  the  arteries  contained  blood 
as  well  as  the  veins,  by  the  simple  experiment  of  dividing  a 
branch  between  two  ligatures  in  a living  subject,  and  thus 
disproved  the  opinion  of  the  Alexandria  school,  that  they 
merely  contained  air.  The  lesser  circulation,  or  that  through 
the  lungs,  had  been  ascertained  by  Servetus  a Spanish  phy- 
sician, and  by  Columbus  the  pupil  of  Vesalius,  and  was  known 
to  other  eminent  men ; and  Coesalpinus  an  Italian  even  men- 
tions the  communication  between  the  arteries  and  veins  at 
their  extremities,  and  speaks  of  the  valves  of  the  arteries 
and  auricles  as  capable  of  preventing  the  return  of  the  blood, 
but  still  it  is  apparent  from  other  parts  of  his  writings  that 
he  had  no  consistent  idea  of  their  use  or  of  the  circulation. 
Further,  the  early  discevery  of  the  valves  of  the  heart,  and 
those  placed  at  the  mouths  of  the  large  arteries  which  had 
been  made  by  Erasistratus ; of  those  in  the  veins  of  the  ex- 
tremities by  Sylvius,  as  mentioned  by  Stephanus,  and  the  dis- 
covery of  similar  valves  in  the  veins  of  the  arm  by  Fabricius 
of  Padua,  the  preceptor  of  Harvey,  it  Avould  seem  might 
at  once  have  led  to  the  belief  of  the  existence  of  a similar 
organization  in  the  veins  of  other  parts  of  the  body,  and  to  a 
knowledge  of  their  use  in  preventing  the  return  of  the  blood, 
to  the  extremities,  and  to  the  deduction  of  its  having  been 
previously  carried  from  the  heart  by  tlie  arteries.  It  was 
this  organization  of  the  veins  that  furnished  Harvey  with  one 
of  the  strongest  arguments  in  favour  of  his  sublime  dis- 
covery. Finally,  says  Dr.  Hunter,  “ the  obvious  phtenomena 
in  bleeding  animals  to  death,  the  different  effects  of  ligatures 
on  different  vessels,  the  practice  of  surgery  with  regard  to 
bleeding  and  blood  vessels,  the  action  of  the  heart  when  ex- 
posed to  view  in  living  bodies,  all  these  so  evidently  proclaim 


^'"otcs  to  Introductory  Lecture. 


33 


the  circulation,  tliat  there  seems  to  have  been  nothing  more 
required  for  making  the  discovery  than  laying  aside  gross 
prejudices,  and  considering  fairly  some  obvious  truths.”* 
Yet  anatomists  continued  until  the  time  of  Harvey  to  assert 
that  the  liver  was  the  source  of  blood,  and  that  from  it,  the 
vital  fluid  was  distributed  to  other  parts  of  the  body. 

For  an  account  of  the  opposition  made  to  Dr.  Harvey  by 
the  envious  part  of  his  contemporaries,  and  of  the  injurious 
effects  which  this  sublime  discovery  had  upon  the  temporal 
prosperity  of  its  author,  the  reader  is  referred  to  Dr.  Rush’s 
volume  of  Introductory  Lectures,  a work  which  ought  to  be 
in  the  possession  of  every  gentleman,  and  of  every  professor 
of  divinity,  medicine  or  law. — The  life  of  Harvey  may  be 
found  in  Hutchinson’s  Biograpliia  IMedica. 

JV'otc  32. 

See  Cruikshank’s  anatomy  of  the  absorbent  vessels,  p.  30, 
London,  1790.  The  history  of  the  absorbents  is  curious  and 
extremely  Interesting. — Erasistratus  the  grand  son  of  Aris- 
totle had  certainly  discovered  these  vessels  in  the  intestines 
of  a kid,  but  he  thought  they  were  arteries  and  agreeably  to 
the  opinion  of  the  Alexandrian  school  of  which  he  was  a 
pupil,  he  supposed  they  contained  air  like  other  vessels  of 
the  same  nature.  These  vessels  are  also  hinted  at  by  Hip- 
pocrates, and  Galen,  but  their  real  use  was  ascertained  by 
Azellius  of  Cremona  in  1622,  who  in  dissecting  first  a dog, 
and  afterwards  other  quadrupeds,  observed  vessels  contain- 
ing a milky  fluid  to  commence  from  the  intestines  •,  but  though 
he  traced  them  to  a cluster  of  glands  which  he  called  pan- 
creas, yet  because  he  also  found  a few  similar  vessels  on  the 
liver  he  supposed  that  viscus  to  be  their  final  place  of  termi- 
nation. The  result  of  the  labour  of  Azellius  was  published 
with  coloured  plates  in  1627,  after  the  death  of  the  author, 
and  the  year  before  Harvey’s  work  on  the  circulation  came 


Tntrodvictoiy  Lecture,  p.  43. 


40 


vYoles  lo  Inlvodiiclory  Lcclure. 


out : for  many  years  both  these  works  excited  great  interest 
and  the  anatomists  of  all  Europe  were  zealous  in  verifying 
their  discoveries,  and  in  testing  their  remarks  hy  the  dissec- 
tion of  living  animals.  At  length  Pecquet  of  Paris  saw  the 
chyle  actually  floAving  into  the  heart  of  a living  dog  in  a 
regular  stream,  and  traced  the  source  of  this  fluid  to  the  com- 
mon receptacle  of  the  thoracic  duct.  He  published  his  ac- 
count in  1651 : Eustachius  before  had  seen  this  duct,  hut  did 
not  knoAV  the  real  use  of  it : he  called  it  vena  sine  parL  Van 
Horne  a Dutch  professor  laid  claim  to  the  merit  of  the  same 
discovery  the  following  year.  Eustachius  had  a century  be- 
fore discovered  the  same  vessels  in  a horse,  hut  he  was  igno- 
rant of  their  use  in  the  economy  of  the  animal,  or  of  their 
origin.  The  honour  of  ascertaining  both  points  was  reserv- 
ed for  Pecquet.  The  discovery  of  another  set  of  absorbents, 
Avhich  arise  from  all  the  cavities  of  animal  bodies  soon  fol- 
lowed hy  the  dissection  of  dogs,  viz.  in  1651  or  1652.  These 
were  called  lymphatics  from  the  pellucid  nature  of  their  con- 
tents, and  were  found  toeiulAvith  the  laeteals  in  the  thoracic 
trunk.  In  later  times,  the  same  system  of  vessels  Avas  found  hy 
various  anatomists  in  all  other  animals  that  Avere  examined, 
of  both  land  and  water,  and  in  the  human  brain  hy  Mascagni 
of  Italy,  from  Avhosc  dissections  a series  of  the  most  elegant 
plates  have  been  published.  The  merit  of  discovery  of  the 
lymphatics  in  other  parts  of  the  body,  besides  the  intestines, 
Avas  due  to  Bartholine  and  Rudbeck,  Avho  Avere  contempora- 
ries in  the  17th  century.  The  priority  of  time  hoAvever  hy 
a fcAV  months  seems  to  belong  to  Rudbeck,  although  Bartho- 
line first  published  his  account  of  the  lymphatics. 

33. 

Dr.  EdAvard  Stevens  of  St.  Croix : his  experiments  are 
contained  in  his  inaugural  dissertation  on  digestion,  Edin- 
burgh, 1777  : a very  good  abstract  of  them  may  he  found  in 
Smellie’s  philosophy  of  natural  history.  Dr.  Stevens  made 
some  of  liis  experiments  upon  an  Hungarian. 


JS^otes  to  Introductory  Lecture. 


41 


JS'*i)te  34. 

New  Edinburgh  Encyclopsedia,  article  comparative  anato- 
my. In  this  way  the  vermicular  and  peristaltic  motion  of 
the  bowels — the  respiration  of  birds,  and  the  action  of  their 
gizzards,  &c.  &c.  were  ascertained. 

JS^ote  35. 

The  spleen  has  been  extracted  from  dogs  and  other  animals 
without  any  injury,  and  even  from  man : as  Haller  shows 
by  numerous  authorities  : Phys.  tom.  6,  p.  421, 4to,  Lugdun. 
Batav.  1764.  Mr.  Shipton  cut  out  two  fingers  length  of  the 
ilium  of  a dog,  without  injury  to  him.  Phil.  Trans.  No.  283. 
Dr.  Musgrave  cut  out  the  cpecum  of  a bitch,  without  any  in- 
jury. Phil.  Trans.  No.  151.  The  late  Dr.  Jones  of  Phila- 
delphia cut  off  a portion  of  the  pancreas  of  a man,  that  pro- 
truded from  a wound,  and  he  did  well. 

J\Tote  36. 

One  dog  lived  « for  more  than  twelve  months,  with  the 
two  carotids,  the  two  femorals,  and  one  brachial  artery  ob- 
literated.” The  vessels  were  tied  in  succession,  after  the 
wounds  of  a previous  operation  had  healed.  The  dog  whose 
aorta  was  tied,  lived  two  years,  and  was  then  killed ; and 
the  body  being  injected,  the  anastomosing  vessels  were  beau- 
tifully seen.  Med.  and  Chirurg.  Trans.  London,  vol.  2. 

^^ote  37. 

The  saving  of  life  by  taking  up  the  vessels  of  the  neck,  or 
the  large  vessels  of  the  extremities,  when  they  are  diseased 
or  wounded,  is  a modern  improvement  in  surgery.  In  form- 
er times,  death  in  the  one  ease,  and  the  loss  of  the  limb  in 
the  other,  was  tlie  fate  of  the  sufferer. 

Mr.  John  Bell  of  Edinburgh,  took  up  the  posterior  iliac 
artery,  in  consequence  of  its  division,  by  the  points  of  a long 
pair  of  scissars,  “ at  the  place  over  the  sciatic  notch,  Avhere 
it  comes  out  from  the  pelvis  j”  it  was  tied  exactly  where  it 
turns  over  the  bone,  and  the  man  was  cured,  and  walked 
stoutly.”  Surgery,  4to,  vol.  1,  p.  423. 

h 


vox,.  III. 


^''oles  to  Introductory  Lecture. 


vZ. 


Mr.  Abcrnethy  of  London,  first  tied  the  external  iliae  ar- 
tery above  Poupart’s  ligament,  Avliieh  operation  he  perform- 
ed in  a case  of  femoral  aneurism.  His  first  and  second  at- 
tempts were  unsuccessful,  owing  to  the  desperate  nature  of 
one  case,  and  an  unusual  occurrence  in  the  other.  Mr.  A. 
afterwards  was  happy  in  saving  two  lives  by  it.*  Mr.  Freer 
and  Mr.  Tomlinson  of  Birmingham,  performed  the  same  ope- 
ration with  success,  each  onee.f  Dr.  Dorsey  also  perform- 
ed it  in  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital,  in  1811,  successfully.:]: 
The  patient  walked  on  the  twentieth  day.  Mr.  Astley 
Cooper  of  London,  has  also  tied  tlie  carotid  artery  for  aneu- 
rism, in  two  cases,  the  first,  in  1895,  was  in  the  right  caro- 
tid ; death  took  place  from  “ an  inflammation  of  the  aneu- 
rismal  sac  and  parts  adjacent,  by  which  the  size  of  the  tu- 
mour became  increased  so  as  to  press  on  the  pharynx,  and 
prevent  deglutition,  and  upon  the  larynx,  so  as  to  excite  vio- 
lent fits  of  coughing,  and  ultimately  impede  respiration.” 
In  the  second  case,  in  1808,  the  disease  was  in  the  internal 
carotid,  and  was  cured.  See  Medieo-Chirurgical  Trans,  vol, 
1,  pages  1 and  222.  London,  1809.  Dr.  Post  of  New  York, 
has  also  within  the  last  year  successfully  operated  in 
New  York  for  aneurism  in  the  carotid  artery.:];  See  also 
Mr.  Cooper’s  account  of  the  dissection  of  a limb,  in  which 
the  operation  for  poplitial  aneurism  had  been  performed, 
in  the  Medieo-Chirurgical  Transactions,  vol.  2,  London, 
1812. 

eYofe  38. 

Professor  Camper  rendered  most  important  services  both 
to  human  and  comparative  anatomy.  His  account  of  the  dis- 
section of  apes,  monkeys  and  ourans  outang  is  inserted  in  the 
Trans.  Royal  Soc.  London,  for  1779 — vol.  69,  and  is  entitled 


* Surgical  observations  on  the  constitutional  origin  and  treatment  of  local 
diseases,  and  on  Aneurisms.  London,  1809. 
f Freer  on  Aneurism.  Birmingham,  1807,  41o. 

Dorset’s  Surgery,  vol.  2. 


J\'otes  to  Introdiiclory  Leeliu'e. 


43 


On  the  organs  of  speech  of  the  ouran  outang.”  But  as 
these  animals  cannot  speak,  the  expression  should  have  been 
voice  and  not  “ speech.” — Dr.  Tyson  of  London  Avho  Avas 
himself  an  accurate  dissector,  had  published  in  1699  “ ourang 
outang,  or  the  anatomy  of  a pigmy  compared  Avith  a monkey, 
an  ape  and  man,”  4to.  Avithout  discovering  the  difference  be- 
tween their  organs  of  speech  and  voice.  Albinus,  Martini 
and  even  D’Aubenton  are  also  silent  on  the  striking  construc- 
tion of  this  organ  in  apes.  The  merit  of  professor  Camper 
Avas  therefore  the  greater,  for  it  unraA'elled  the  mystery  of 
their  incapacity  of  speaking,  although  possessed  of  organs, 
(as  Avas  supposed)  equally  Avell  adapted  to  the  end,  as  those 
of  man.  Mr.  White  confirms  professor  Camper’s  statement, 
and  exhibited  a preparation  of  the  membranous  bag  of  the 
monkey  to  the  Manchester  Society.  Account  ol'  the  regu- 
lar gradation  of  man,  by  C.  White,  p.  27 — London  1799. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  confirmation,  nor  any  difficul- 
ty in  accounting  from  it,  for  the  Avant  of  speech  in  ourans, 
apes,  &c.  Lord  Monthoddo  labours  hard  to  prove,  Avith 
Rousseau,  the  humanity  of  the  ouran  outang,  and  accounts 
for  the  difference  between  the  result  of  Tyson’s  and  Camper’s 
dissections  of  ourans,  by  the  circumstance  of  the  first  having 
examined  one  from  Angola,  and  the  other  those  from 
Borneo.  See  Origin  and  Progress  of  Language,  vol.  1. 
p.  344:  and  Ancient  Metaphysics,  vol.  3.  p.  44.  No  anatomist 
or  natural  historian  Avho  grounds  his  distinctions  of  animals 
upon  anatomy  will  attend  to  this  argument. 

tMofc  39. 

D’Auhenton,  by  the  dissection  of  a camel  for  Buffon’s  na- 
tural history,  had  many  years  since  actually  found  a consi- 
derable quantity  of  Avater  in  the  cells  of  the  stpmach,  though 
the  animal  had  been  dead  ten  days.  The  Avater  Avas  clear, 
almost  insipid,  and  drinkable.  He  therefore  assents  to  the 
assertion  of  travellers,  that  camels  are  killed  for  the  Avater 
in  their  stomachs.  Perrault,  Avho  dissected  a camel  in  1676, 
Mem.  de  I’Acad.  de  Seien.  tom.  3,  Avas  of  the  same  opinion, 


JN'*otes  to  Introductory  Lecture. 


but  Mr.  Home  has  put  tlie  question  beyond  all  doubt,  by  the 
dissection  of  a camel  in  London,  in  the  year  1806  j an  ac- 
count of  which  may  be  found  in  the  Trans,  of  the  royal  soci- 
ety Lond.  for  that  year.  He  fully  and  vei-y  clearly  explains, 
from  the  structure  of  the  camel’s  stomach,  how  that  animal 
is  enabled  to  take  in  a supply  of  water  for  future  use,  thus 
fitting  him  to  live  in  sandy  deserts,  where  supplies  of  water 
are  precarious  or  scanty. 

Hr.  Russel  says  he  knew  an  instance  of  a camel  in  a Bas- 
sora  caravan,  remaining  fifteen  days  without  water  j but 
none  of  the  natives  recollected  a similar  instance.  Leo  Afri- 
canus  however  mentions  one.  Descript.  Africa;,  lib  9,  p.  281. 
Dr.  Russel  says  that  camels  sometimes  show  a preference 
for  salt  w ater.  Nat.  History  of  Aleppo,  vol  2,  p.  167,  168, 
London,  1794,  4to. 

A’ote  40. 

Chemistry  also  has  recently  lent  its  aid  to  disprove  a po- 
pular error,  which  has  long  prevailed  respecting  the  origin 
of  the  salt  familiar  to  most  persons  by  the  name  of  sal  am- 
moniac, which  was  first  brought  to  Europe  from  Egypt,  and 
was  said  in  early  times  to  be  formed  by  the  action  of  the 
camel’s  urine  upon  the  sands  of  the  desert,  near  the  temple 
of  Jupiter  Ammon.  Lemery  and  Pomet  both  give  assent  to 
this  notion,  and  the  latter,  in  his  history  of  drugs,  gives  a 
plate  of  a camel  in  the  act  of  discharging  his  urine,  and  the 
mass  of  salt  forming  in  consequence  of  it  under  his  body  !* 
But  the  recent  analysis  of  the  urine  of  the  camel,  shows  that 
ammonia  exists  in  it  in  so  small  a proportion,  as  to  render 
it  impossible  to  suppose  it  could  have  the  leasd;  agency  in  the 
formation  of  the  salt  in  question. 

The  analysis  of  the  urine  of  camels  referred  to,  was  made 
by  two  good  chemists,  in  different  countries,  viz.  Messrs. 


* Pomet  on  Drugs,  page  250.  London,  1737.  The  work  was  originally  pub- 
lished  in  French,  in  1694.  Lemery  derives  ammonia  from  afxfjios,  (ammos) 
arena,  sand. 


Jfotes  to  Introductory  Lecture, 


45 


Rouelle  ia  France  and  Mr.  Brande  in  London,  and  their 
agreement  in  the  general  result,  leaves  no  douht  as  to  the 
accuracy  of  it. 

Analysis  of  the  camel’s  urine,  as  given  by  Mr.  Home. 


BRANDE, 


ROUELLE.* 


Water,  ... 
Phosphat  of  Lime, 

Muriat  of  Ammonia,  j 

Sulphat  of  Po  .ash,  ^ 

Urat  of  Potash,  ( 

Carbonat  of  Potash,  J 

Muriat  of  Potash, 

Urea,  . . . , 


75 


6 

8 

6 


Carbonat  of  Potash, 
Sulphat  of  Potash, 
Muriat  of  Potash, 
Urea. 


* Thompson’s  Chemistry,  second 
Edition,  vol.  4,  page  655. 


95 


The  urine  of  cows  was  also  analyzed  by  both  Mess.  Brande 
and  Rouelle,  both  of  whom  agree  in  stating  that  potash  is 
the  only  fixed  alkali  in  them. 

We  now  know  that  the  salt  which  the  ancients  called  sal 
ammoniac,  was  common  salt : and  that  the  true  sal  ammoni- 
ac is  not  found  native.  The  Egyptians  are  stated  to  have 
procured  it  by  sublimation  from  soot  of  cow’s  or  camel’s 
manure,  urine  and  common  salt ; but  fi’om  accounts  trans- 
mitted to  the  royal  society  at  Paris,  it  appears  certainly  that 
this  salt  is  procured  by  sublimation  from  the  soot  taken  alone 
without  any  addition.  Nicholson’s  Chemical  Dictionary,  vol. 
1,  p.  116  ; and  Magellan’s  edition  of  CronstadCs  Mineralogy, 
p.  458.  The  soot  taken  from  the  chimneys  in  which  cow 
dung  only,  as  fuel,  is  burnt,  is  said  to  furnish  the  best  sal 
ammoniac.  This  salt  is  however  commonly  prepared  from 
burnt  bones,  in  the  United  States,  and  in  Europe. 

From  Vauquelin’s  analysis  of  the  urine  of  various  animals, 
(Annales  de  Chimie,  tom.  82,  p.  197,)  it  appears  that  the 
urines  of  the  lion  and  the  tiger  are  perfectly  similar,  and 
differ  from  the  human  in  some  essential  points. 

1.  It  is  alkaline,  even  at  the  instant  of  being  voided,  and 
hence  its  bad  odour  5 while  the  urine  of  a healthy  man  is  al- 
ways acid. 


i6 


e/Voies  to  Inlvoduclovij  Lecture. 


2.  They  do  not  contain  any  uric  acid,  nor  any  combination 
of  this  acid  with  the  alkalis.  The  defect  of  uric  acid  in  those 
urines,  struck  Mr.  Vauquelin  more  forcibly,  as  he  used  to 
ascribe  its  formation  to  animal  food. 

3.  They  contain  only  a very  small  quantity  of  muriate  of 
soda,  (sea  salt,)  whereas  that  of  man  contains  a great  deal. 
We  find  in  these  urines,  much  urea,  phosphates  of  soda  and 
of  ammonia,  sulphate  of  potash,  mucous  matter,  and  a trace 
of  iron.  The  urine  of  the  heaver  has  a great  resemblance 
to  the  urine  of  herhiverous  animals ; that  of  a rabbit,  con- 
tains lime,  magnesia,  and  carbonate  of  potash,  sulphates  of 
potash  and  of  lime,  muriate  of  potash,  urea,  gelatine,  and 
sulphur.  He  did  not  find  any  soda  in  the  urines  of  the  ca- 
mel, cow,  Guinea  pig,  or  rabbit.  The  urine  of  the  horse, 
according  toFourcroy  and  Vauquelin,  (Thompson’s  Chemis- 
try, vol.  4;,)  contains  carbonates  of  lime  and  of  soda,  much 
benzoat  of  soda,  muriate  of  potash,  and  urea.  Mr.  Braude’s 
analysis  of  the  horse’s  urine,  agrees  with  that  of  Messrs. 
Fourcroy  and  Vauquelin,  but  he  also  found  in  it  sulphate  of 
soda,  muriate  of  soda,  but  no  urea,  potash  or  ammonia.  Mr. 
Brande  found  that  tlie  urine  of  the  ass  contains  a much  great- 
er relative  proportion  of  the  phosphat  of  lime  and  urea,  also 
carbonate,  sulphate,  and  muriate  of  soda,  and  a small  quan- 
tity of  potash.  The  urine  of  both  the  horse  and  ass  is  des- 
titute of  ammonia. 

The  foregoing  details  of  the  urine  of  various  animals  are 
given,  as  being  connected  with  the  interests  of  agriculture  ; 
urine  having  been  found  to  be  highly  stimulant  to  vegeta- 
bles : and  from  the  abundance  of  certain  ingredients  in  that 
of  a particular  animal,  and  their  deficiency  in  others,  we 
may  ascertain  why  certain  urines  are  prejudicial,  or  useful 
to  particular  plants. 

JVotc  41. 

The  notion  of  the  submersion  of  swallows  during  winter  is 
of  Swedish  origin.  Olaus,  the  bishop  of  Upsal  first  promul- 
gated it,  and  naturalists  more  worthy  of  attention  assented 


to  Introductory  Lecture. 


47 


to  it.  Linnseus  confined  submersion  to  ebimuey  swallows 
and  martins.  Kalm  his  pupil  believes  the  story,  and  begins 
the  discussion  of  the  subject  by  saying  that  “ natural  history 
like  all  other  histories  depends  not  always  upon  the  intrinsic 
degree  of  probability,  but  upon  facts  founded  on  the  testi- 
mony of  people  of  noted  veracity.”*  But  this  testimony  must 
not  violate  probability,  nor  be  inconsistent  with  one  of  the 
first  rules  of  philosophising,  viz.  that  “ like  causes  produce 
like  efiTeets now,  if  we  find  that  the  lungs  of  two  animals 
are  constructed  precisely  alike,  and  that  one  of  them  cannot 
live  under  water,  we  must  conclude  that  the  other  is  also  defi- 
cient in  that  same  power.  This  is  the  ease  with  man  and 
swallows:  both  are  formed  alike,  and  hence  they  must  be  sub- 
ject to  the  - same  laws.  Those  w ho  wish  to  see  more  on  this 
question  are  referred  to  apaper  I published  (anonymously)  in 
the  Med.  Repository  of  N.  York,  vol.  3,  p.  241. — 1800.  Bar- 
ton’s Fragments,  Philad.  1799,  Caldwell’s  Memoirs,  1801, 
and  to  Observations  on  the  brumal  retreat  of  the  sw  allow  s,” 
by  Thomas  Foster,  F.  Lin.  Soc.  London,  1813.  The  argu- 
ments of  this  author  in  favour  of  the  sw  allow  being  a bird  of 
passage  are  indisputable  : he  has  also  annexed  an  index  to 
passages  relating  to  the  sw  allow  in  the  w orks  of  the  antients, 
and  in  modern  European  authors,  which  is  curious  and 
highly  interesting. 

JVote  42. 

Adrian  Vandervcdde  was  born  in  1639  at  Amsterdam,  and 
was  a pupil  of  John  Wynants.  He  died  at  the  age  of  33. 
See  further,  Pilkington’s  dictionary  of  painters,  p.  686,  ito. 
London,  1798,  and  Camper  on  the  connexion  between  ana- 
tomy and  drawing,  &e,  translated  from  the  Dutch  by  Dr. 
Cogan,  London,  1794.'^ 

^ JV*ote  43. 

Aristotle  long  sinc^.remarked  that  the  motion  or  steps  of 
animals  in  general  are  made  in  the  line  of  their  diagonal : 


* Travels,  vol.  2,  p.  140, 


4S 


JV'otes  to  Introductory  Lecture. 


that  is,  in  the  dii'ection  of  their  two  opposite  quarters.  The 
absurdity  of  the  error  noticed  is  evident.  But  the  camel 
forms  a striking  exception  to  the  rule  : he  walks  by  raising 
the  two  legs  of  the  same  side,  the  one  immediately  after  the 
other.  AristoteL  de  hist,  animal,  lib.  11,  cap.  1.  Dr.  Rus- 
sel confirms  Aristotle’s  statement.  Nat.  Hist,  of  Aleppo,  vol. 
3,  p.  169,  & p.  4-23.  The  engravings  of  the  skeletons  of 
some  of  the  animals  in  Buffbn’s  natural  history,  particularly 
of  the  horse,  are  very  inaccurate. 

Artists  should  read  the  following  works  besides  Camper’s. 

1.  Refleetions  on  the  painting  and  sculpture  of  the  Greeks, 
with  instructions  for  the  connoiscur,  and  an  essay  on  grace 
in  works  of  art,  translated  from  the  German  original  of  the 
Abbe  Winkleman,  by  Henry  Fusseli,  London,  1765 — 8vo. 

2.  Count  Algarotti  on  painting,  London,  17 63 — 12mo. 

3.  Dr.  Brisbane  on  the  anatomy  of  painting,  with  6 plates, 
London,  1769. 

4<.  Essays  on  the  anatomy  of  expression  in  painting,  with 
plates,  by  Charles  Bell,  4?to,  London,  1804?.  This  last  is  by 
one  of  the  first  anatomists  of  the  present  day,  and  ought  to 
be  studied  by  every  painter  or  engraver,  of  either  man  or 
animals. 

J^ote  44. 

Gentleman’s  Magazine,  1790,  p.  299. 

JV’otc  45. 

See  an  aecount  of  a case  of  croup  in  a calf,  in  memoirs  of 
the  Philadelphia  society  for  promoting  agriculture,  vol.  3, 
by  Mr.  Peters,  president  of  the  society. 

46. 

Alemoirs  medical  society,  London,  vol.  5. 

eA*ote  47. 

This  disease  has  prevailed  with  great  mortality  in  Phila- 
delphia county  during  the  last  spring.  Mr.  G.  Montague 
gives  some  reasons,  for  believing  that  by  mixing  the  food  of 
foAvls  with  urine  instead  of  water,  and  feeding  them  with  it 
three  or  four  times  a day,  it  may  he  removed.  Memoirs  of 


J^'^otes  to  Introductory  Lecture. 


49 


Wernerian  Nat.  Hist.  Soe.  Edinburgh,  vol.  1.  1811.  Mr. 
Peters  informs  me  that  he  eures  it  by  small  pills  of  camphor, 
given  twice  a day. 

J\''otes  48,  49. 

Gentleman’s  Magazine,  1790,  page  497. 

JV’ofe  50. 

Mr.  Lawrence,  “ Philosophical  and  practical  treatise  on 
horses,”  has  justly  ridiculed,  and  with  much  pleasantry,  the 
absurd  farrago  of  nostrums  administered  by  farriers. 

JS''ote  51. 

1 was  told  by  an  intelligent  drover,  that  it  is  the  cattle 
from  the  district  of  the  long-leaved  pine,  that  possess  the 
power  of  diseasing  other  cattle.  This  species  is  the  Finns 
vlustralis  of  Miehaux,  Finns  Falustris  of  Linnseus,  the  pitch 
pine,  yellow  pine,  red  pine,  or  broom  pine.  According  to 
Miehaux,  the  country  occupied  by  this  pine  commences  near 
Norfolk,  and  continues  in  a south  west  direction  for  250 
leagues  in  length,  and  40  to  50  in  breadth.  See  Histoire  dcs 
Jlrbres  Forestiers  de  L’Amcr.  Septent.  Faris,  18i0.  I Avould 
be  very  thankful  for  any  information  on  the  subject  of  the 
disease  in  question.  We  sec  something  similar  to  the  dis- 
ease produced  among  northern  cattle,  by  mixing  with  those 
from  the  south,  in  the  human  race.  During  the  revolution 
war  in  the  United  States,  the  mixture  of  southern  with 
northern  troops,  speedily  induced  disease,  if  encamped  to- 
gether, although  both  had  been  previously  healthy.  See 
Rush’s  Works,  vol.  1.  In  like  manner,  the  mixture  of  the 
crews  of  ships  of  different  nations,  at  sea,  has  often  produ- 
ced disease.  See  Blane’s  diseases  of  seamen,  page  235  ; and 
the  arrival  of  a stranger  at  St.  Kilda,  one  of  the  remote  and 
small  western  islands  of  Scotland,  produces  a catarrh  among 
the  inhabitants. — Martin’s  History  of  the  Western  Islands, 
page  284.  The  case  of  the  South  Carolina  cattle  is  how  ever 
peculiar.  W'e  do  not  find  that  those  from  other  states  pro- 
duce a similar  complaint,  or  any  other,  w hen  mixed  with  the 
stock  of  Pennsylvania.  The  fatal  disease  alluded  to,  that 


VOI..  III. 


I 


50 


^'"otes  to  Introductovif  Lecture. 


occurred  in  1796,  in  one  instance,  at  Columbia,  on  the  Sus- 
quohannah,  attacked  stock  vliich  liad  merely  strolled  about, 
or  bad  lain  down  in  a ploughed  field,  in  which  the  South 
Carolina  cattle  liad  been  previously  penned  for  one  night; 
a full  proof  of  the  virulence  of  the  effluvia  left  by  them  on 
the  ground.  The  precaution  suggested  by  the  foregoing 
facts,  in  grazing,  and  in  armies  and  navies,  is  obvious. 

JYote  52. 

See  Memoirs  of  the  Philadelphia  Society  for  promoting 
Agriculture,  vol.  1,  pages  139,  154. 

J\''ote  53. 

See  account  of  this  disease,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Parsons,  in 
the  New  York  Medical  Repository,  vol.  1. 

J\'ote  54. 

See  Archives  of  useful  knowledge,  vol.  1,  page  398,  and 
vol.  2,  page  400. 

JVote  55. 

For  Mr.  Hunter's  account  of  the  inflammation  of  a vein 
from  bleeding,  (which  is  highly  interesting,)  see  Transac- 
tions of  a society  for  the  improvement  of  medical  and  chi- 
rurgical  knowledge,  London,  1793,  page  18.  Also,  Dorsey’s 
Surgery,  vol.  1.  The  late  Mr.  Wignell,  of  the  Philadelphia 
Theatre,  died  of  this  disease. 

Inflammation  in  the  veins  of  horses  or  man,  after  bleed- 
ing, according  to  Hunter,  arises  from  not  fully  closing  the 
external  wound,  “ and  when  inflammation  takes  place  be- 
yond the  ^ orifice,  the  surgeon  should  immediately  put  a 
compress  upon  the  vein,  at  the  inflamed  part,  to  make  the 
two  sides  adhere  together : or  if  they  do  not  adhere,  yet 
simple  contact  will  be  sufficient  to  prevent  suppuration  in 
tliis  part : or  if  inflammation  has  gone  so  far  as  to  make  the 
surgeon  suspect  that  suppuration  has  taken  place,  then  the 
compress  must  be  put  upon  that  part  of  the  vein  just  above 
the  suppuration.  This  I once  practiced,  and  as  I suppose, 
with  success.”  If  the  disease  proceeds,  bleeding  and  other 
depleting  remedies  are  to  be  used.  Dr.  Physick  has  applied 


^'‘otes  to  Introductory  Lecture. 


51 


a blister  ^ver  the  part  with  success.  Dorsey’s  Surgery  vol.  1. 

“ Upoa  tracing  the  vessels,  after  death,  from  the  inflamed 
part,”  Mr.  Hunter  says,  “ pus  is  found  mixed  with  the  blood. 
In  some  places  the  sides  of  the  vein  were  adhering,  and  in 
others  the  ^nner  surface  of  the  vein  was  furred  over  with 
coagulable  1 miph.” 

J^ote  S6. 

The  cases  of  the  cure  of  the  disease  produced  by  the  bite 
of  a mad  dvg,  in  Calcutta,  which  have  been  recently  pub- 
lished by  Mr.  Tymon,  Dr.  Shoolbred,  and  Dr.  Berry,  ought 
possibly  to  be  adduced  as  exceptions  to  the  general  position ; 
but  we  must  have  more  cures  by  the  same  remedy,  before  it 
can  be  Said  to  be  safe.  It  never  has  succeeded  before  in  any 
count  'j.  See  Medical  Repository,  vol.  2,  New  Series,  and 
Eclectic  Repertory,  Philadelphia,  vol.  3,  for  the  cases  al- 
luded Is). 

JS'^ote  57. 

Meta  n.  lib.  7.  v.  523. 

Jfote  58. 

Liv^v,  lib.  41. 

59. 

M?m.  Med.  Soc.  London,  vol.  5,  and  Webster’s  history  of 
epide  mic  and  pestilential  diseases,  vol.  1,  pages  139  and  321. 
Harubrd,  1799. 

J\'’otes  60,  61. 

Webster,  vol.  1,  pages  86,  181,  and  other  places.  Mr. 
WeLster  has  rendered  an  essential  benefit  to  medicine,  by  his 
gre  1 collection  of  facts  on  the  subject  of  epidemic  diseases, 
an  ^by  showing  their  connexion  with,  and  occasional  depen- 
dence on  natural  phfenomena. 


J 


lien 

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1 siippo 
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